Feel, Don't Conceal
by Kurrent
Summary: In the aftermath of Arendelle's Eternal Winter, Elsa and Anna still have much to come to terms with, particularly their feelings for each other. Will they be forced to once again choose the kingdom over each other or forge a more risky path to the future? Elsanna. Rated M for reasons fairly obvious by the fourth chapter. Cover art is by the amazing Trixdraws from DeviantArt!
1. Chapter 1: Here We Stand

**Author's Note:** Well. Two things have worked together to form this story in my mind. The first, rather obviously, was seeing the excellent movie _Frozen_ two weeks ago. It's just absurdly good, and I highly recommend you see it. The second was a piece of fiction named "Frozen Fractals," by the author of the same name, **FrozenFractals**. It's an incredibly moving, emotional, breathtaking piece of work, and I highly recommend you search it out. Simply put, it's one of the best stories I've read in several years. This story is dedicated to Anna, Elsa and FrozenFractals. Together these three have made some magic. Fractals, you did good, girl.

**Cover Art** for the story is by the incredibly talented **Trixdraws** from DeviantArt. She was gracious enough to grant me permission to use her beautiful drawing, and I highly recommend you check out the rest of her art. I can't hotlink to it due to FFNet guidelines, but you can just pop over to her page at DA and check out her other stuff!

_Here are my standard disclaimers_: I make no claims on any of Disney's trademarks or copyrights, and no infringement is intended on them or those of any other artist or publication mentioned. Be forewarned that this story most certainly will contain femslash. If love and affection between two consenting young adults of the same sex bothers you, I suggest you turn right around and find something else to read. Keep any flames to yourself and remember that what our world needs now is more love and acceptance, not more hate. Reviews are always welcomed and appreciated! Some of the themes (well, one theme in particular, really) might make readers uncomfortable. I understand that. If you really don't like it, please stop reading and walk away from this story. I promise I won't be offended.

**Feel, Don't Conceal**

by Jo K.

Chapter 1: Here We Stand

_Let it go, let it go_

_Can't hold it back anymore_

_Let it go, let it go_

_Turn away and slam the door_

_I don't care what they're going to say_

_Let the storm rage on_

_The cold never bothered me anyway_

-Idina Menzel, "Let It Go" (from _Frozen_)

The Eternal Winter, despite its boldly ominous name, had ended. While several people (and a reindeer and animated snowman) had a hand in freeing the kingdom of Arendelle from the icy grip of winter's fury run rampant, in the end it was true love that broke not only the curse upon Princess Anna and the curse upon Arendelle, but also the self-imposed curse upon Queen Elsa herself. It just took a little longer for the last one.

As the ship from the Southern Isles slipped out of sight behind the mountains along Arendelle's coast, Elsa finally allowed herself to turn and walk back to the castle, satisfied that the villainous Hans would not trouble her sister or her kingdom again. _I mean, my kingdom and my sister_, she mentally chided herself. But that didn't sound right. _Arendelle must come first. It must come before me. It must come before Anna._ That had been taught to her repeatedly over the years, first by her parents, then by the royal advisers she had inherited upon her parents' death. She frowned as she fell into a slow walk, letting the guards flanking her maintain a deliberate, regal pace. She had no trouble mentally repeating the first two sentences, but as she tried to repeat the final sentence, she found herself unable to finish it. _I've put the kingdom ahead of me, ahead of Anna, for over twenty years. And I'm si—_

The abrupt halt of her guards and the frenzied clatter of swords being drawn snapped Elsa out of her thoughts. "What's going on?" she shouted, wondering what else the world could throw at her today.

"Good grief, it's just me!" lilted a voice from behind the phalanx that sent a happy shiver across the back of Elsa's neck.

"Hello, Anna," Elsa said happily, turning to look at her sister running up behind her, the long twin braids of her cinnamon red hair swinging and swaying as she ran. The two guards between Elsa and her sister, who was still running toward Elsa and her entourage at full speed, parted at the last possible second, allowing Anna to throw herself into Elsa's slightly awkward embrace. Elsa closed her eyes and hugged her sister tightly, not even caring when Anna lifted her feet slightly off the ground, hanging in her big sister's embrace like she had done so many years ago.

"I missed you," Anna whispered into Elsa's ear, her warm breath making the fine blond hair on Elsa's head stand on end.

Elsa hesitated briefly, trying to decide what would be the best reply. "I missed you too," she finally said, after deciding upon honesty as the best option. "But I wanted to make sure he was gone. To make sure he wouldn't be able to hurt you again."

The two sisters stood there. Anna finally put her feet back on the ground, but she maintained her tight grip on her sister. "I'm so sorry," she whispered. "I'm sorry I ever did something as stupid as fall in love with a man I just met. It was all my fault, I was the one who upset you and made everything—"

"Shhh," Elsa whispered into Anna's left ear as she lightly rubbed her younger sister's back. "I think I had plenty to do with everything that happened too." She opened her eyes as she pulled slightly back, taking in the sight of the beautiful young woman her baby sister had grown into. Her green eyes seemed to shine as never before in the sun's warm light, and the freckles on her face darted and danced as Anna's smile widened. "You are so beautiful," Elsa said tenderly. "He didn't deserve you anyway."

Anna's smile grew toothy, then she said, "Yeah, you're right. He didn't. Not sure if I'll ever find someone who does, though. I _am_ pretty hard to handle."

Elsa laughed softly. "The hardest," she said as she gently ran her right hand through Anna's loose bangs. "But I promise I'll never lock you out again."

Anna's eyes flickered just briefly, but the wetness gathering in them was obvious. "You better not," she said in a much softer voice, one that brought back fleeting memories of muffled questions spoken through a great wooden door. "Because I couldn't handle losing you again."

Elsa pulled Anna to her chest again, burying her face in her sister's shoulder to conceal the glittering tears forming in her eyes. "You won't lose me again, Anna. Not unless you decide you want me gone." _I killed her. I almost killed her when we younger, then I did kill her, just today. I'm a danger to her, and she'd be safer without me around._

"Hey," Anna said softly as she ran her right hand through her older sister's blonde hair. Not getting a response, she gently tilted her head back and turned Elsa's face toward her. The crystal tears frozen on Elsa's cheeks hit Anna as hard as a punch to her chest, and it was all she could do not to cry herself at the guilt in her older sister's eyes. She smiled, determined to cheer up her sister. "I just got you back, silly," she said as she took her right hand out of Elsa's hair and gently cupped her face. "After climbing a mountain during an ice storm, fighting off a pack of wolves, falling off a cliff and throwing myself in front of a sword to protect you. Why on earth would I _ever_ want you to go away again?"

Even if she had wanted to, Elsa couldn't have opened her mouth to utter a single syllable. She simply didn't trust herself not to break down in tears and fall to her knees, begging her sister to forgive her for all she had gone through in her attempts to bring Elsa back to Arendelle after her powers had been revealed to the whole kingdom. Such groveling would have been entirely unseemly for a queen, no matter how justified it might have been. Instead she just looked into Anna's own glistening eyes, a shade of blue-green brilliant enough to humble the Northern Lights. As she watched, those emerald eyes were slowly shuttered as Anna leaned forward and tenderly kissed the corner of Elsa's mouth.

Anna had originally intended to kiss her sister's cheek, but for some reason she fluttered her eyes closed right before she leaned forward; she had been expecting to contact the cool yet tingling skin of Elsa's pale cheek, but when her lips brushed against just the corner of Elsa's warm, soft lips, it sent a jolt of electricity through both sisters. Any thought of correcting her aim was instantly banished from Anna's mind as she felt the surge burst from her mouth into her head, then her chest, then her gut, finally shooting through her limbs as her entire body quivered.

Elsa was no more immune to the sensation than her sister. Her first fleeting thoughts had been to chastise her sister for closing her eyes like a damsel in a fairy tale about to kiss the prince of her dreams, but then the boiling energy of contact shot through her heart on the way to her brain. All logic was temporarily suspended as every nerve in her body stood on end and cried for more. She was too controlled, too well trained to swoon or respond obviously to this new sensation, but a small whimper escaped the part of her mouth yet uncovered by Anna's kiss, so soft as to be inaudible to anyone but the two young women.

Both sets of eyes reluctantly slid open after long seconds, letting each sister search the other's inquisitive eyes deeply. It was Elsa who recovered her composure first, unsurprisingly. "I'll talk to you later at the castle, okay?" she asked, the way she spoke the words indicating it was more of a statement than a question. However, the softness in her eyes and her smile made it clear to her younger sister that it wasn't a brusque dismissal but rather a necessary delay.

"O-okay," Anna stammered, her face flushed and still tingling. She stood very still as her sister turned and walked away, her posture perfect as her guards fell into place around her. Anna didn't trust her legs to work properly just yet, so she simply stood there gathering her composure. The shock of what had just transpired reverberated through her head, clanging so loudly that even her pounding heart was drowned out. Anna dimly remembered that she had two guards with her when she left the castle. She had lost them somewhere around the craftsmen district; even the fastest guards couldn't keep pace with a bicycle for long, particularly when they were wearing chain hauberks and steel leg guards. She grinned as she began to skip toward the merchants' square. The guards and her bicycle would show back up at the castle eventually. They always did.

Elsa found it difficult to concentrate on her royal meetings for the rest of the day. The discussion with her trade adviser hadn't gone particularly well. She wasn't interested in negotiating with the Southern Isles, even if Hans' treacherous behavior had given them an opportunity to revise their current trade agreement. She wasn't sure if she would _ever_ be interested in dealing with the small archipelago again, given how their youngest prince had tried to murder Anna and Elsa to steal their kingdom. The adviser, used to dealing with the slightly more patient King Sigurd, had argued the point until his documents, neatly spread across the table and arranged just so, were covered with snow, along with the rest of the room. When an icicle began to form on the tip of his nose, he realized his error and hurriedly excused himself from the queen's presence. The rest of the meetings were boringly unremarkable, and Elsa found her thoughts increasingly drifting back to Anna. Anna's smile, Anna's laugh, Anna's voice, Anna's hair. Anna's bright eyes.

Anna's soft lips.

She blinked, startled at the unexpected image, which even now brought back the memory of the corner of her mouth tingling thrillingly.

"Your majesty?"

She pushed the memory back into the depths of her mind as she fought to remember where she was. Oh yes. The latest report from the trappers and hunters. She visibly shifted in her seat, hoping that the handful of advisers and servants in attendance would dismiss any inattention on her part as simple discomfort. It _had_ been a long day, and the tingling in her lower back wasn't exactly a good kind of tingling. Not like when Anna kis—

She shook her head. "My apologies, Sir Kjell," she said to the Royal Trapper. "It has been a very trying week, and it will take some time for me to adjust to... to the throne."

The older man shook her head slightly, then he bowed respectfully. "Nay, your majesty. It is I who should ask your forgiveness. You and Princess Anna have been forced into your parents' roles sooner than anyone of us would have wished. All of us are still in shock at the terrible loss of the king and queen, and I know that none of us miss them more than you and the Princess. And here I am, boring you with possibly the last sort of royal duty anyone would want to carry out."

Elsa smiled. She remembered when Kjell had given her and Anna a pet fox, back before the accident which had led to the two sisters being separated. He had been found in one of the snares along the Eastern Shore, abandoned by his parents. Anna had insisted on bathing the poor creature, only admitting defeat after bleeding from at least a dozen scratches and bites. The fox promptly found a new home in the royal gardens, and Anna wound up spending the next week smelling like the witch hazel used to clean her cuts and scrapes. The poor trapper had apologized profusely to the king and queen, but instead of losing his job, he was promoted to his current position. He had meant well, and his kindness both to the young princesses and to the orphaned animal meant more than his inability to foresee what sort of mischievous ideas young Princess Anna was capable of conceiving. Elsa rose from her throne, being careful not to step on the hem of her glittering turquoise gown as she strode down the steps of the elevated platform to the main floor of the throne room. She stopped in front of the rugged hunter, lightly resting her fingers upon his right shoulder. "Sir Kjell," she said pleasantly, motioning him to stand as he looked up.

After a momentary pause and a mildly confused look, the older man rose to his feet, standing nearly a hand taller than the young queen.

"Sir Kjell, you have always been kind and considerate to my sister and to me. You have nothing to apologize for. All of us are... adjusting to my parents' loss. You were doing your job, and I appreciate you and your long service to Arendelle." She stifled a yawn, then added, "But I think I have heard as many reports today as I am currently capable of. And I believe you would prefer to be out in the woods, instead of inside the castle walls."

Kjell grinned, a slight breach of protocol but an understandable one. "Yes, your majesty," he said with another bow before turning and walking toward the double doors of the throne room.

Elsa turned to Ygrit, one of her handmaidens. "Please tell the kitchen staff that my sister and I will be dining in my chambers this evening." She turned to glance at the young girl, probably no more than thirteen or fourteen, adding with a twinkle in her eye, "And hopefully she hasn't burned the kingdom down while we've been in here."

In fact, Anna had not burned anything down at that point. She had spent three hours riding and then another hour walking to reach the hidden valley of the rock trolls, sending her horse back down to the castle with the unfortunate guard who had finally managed to catch her. He had seemed terrified at the idea of leaving the young Princess in the mountains by herself, and only her direct command had been sufficient to send him along his way. For Anna's part, she didn't want the home of the rock trolls to become common knowledge, leading her to walk the rest of the way into the crevices of the mountains. Besides, she already had her way back home planned out, by way of the small wooden sled strapped to her back.

As she reached the moss-covered plateau she remembered, she slung the backpack and light sled off her shoulders, depositing them softly on the hard ground. "Hello!" she called out as she made her way through the lumpy rocks strewn across the small plain. "I'm Anna, Kristoff's friend. He brought me here earlier to meet you, and then again after I had been, um, injured, when my heart had been frozen." She stood, waiting for some response to her words, hoping that she hadn't been hallucinating when she had been here before.

The deep thumping of rocks rolling across the ground made her heart soar, reassuring her that she had indeed made it to the right place. She watched with small wonder as the creatures unfolded from their previous forms as rocks to again stand around her, gazing up at her with as much curiosity and awe as she directed toward them.

"Very fortunate, you are," spoke one of the trolls, whose softer voice and decorative ornaments made Anna think of her as female.

Anna turned to look at the troll, who stood taller than Anna's waist, significantly taller than most of the trolls. "Um, thank you, but why would you say I was very fortunate?" she asked politely.

"Isn't it obvious, my dear?" replied the troll, spreading her short arms wide as she spoke. "You're still alive! You had your heart frozen the last time we saw you, but Kristoff was able to get you to the village in time to reunite with your true love and thaw your heart before it turned into ice! That makes you very fortunate indeed."

Anna turned away, slightly embarrassed at being reminded just how naive and foolish she had been. "Well..." she began. "That wasn't exactly how it went..."

"But here you stand," spoke another troll, this one seemingly younger and male, as best as Anna could tell. "Alive, healthy, and most certainly _not_ made of ice!" He poked her leg to confirm his words, smiling contentedly when her skin lightly indented in a way ice would not.

Anna sat down on a stump, after briefly checking to make sure that it was, indeed, a stump and not possibly a troll who had been dozing off or was a bit slow on changing out of rock form. "Yes, I am alive and not frozen," she said, "but the man I had thought of as my true love turned out to be the farthest from it. He had never loved me at all, and instead he had planned to trick me into marrying him so he could seize control of Arendelle. When I asked him to break the curse of my frozen heart with a kiss, he instead decided to let me freeze to death to speed up the process."

"Then how did..." asked a younger troll, this one definitely a young girl, or at least the troll equivalent.

"Kristoff!" shouted yet another troll, all of whom were gathering around Anna closely at this point. "He must have been her true love after all!"

"He _was_ the one who took her down the mountain—"

"And he would have been there to kiss her before her heart completely turned to ice!"

Anna shook her head, giving up on trying to keep track of which troll was speaking. They were pressed so closely together at this point that she simply couldn't tell. "No, again, not exactly," she said, sparking a brief hush from the trolls. "Kristoff did take me down the mountain, and I was trying to reach him to kiss him when the fjord began to thaw and the ice started to break. But I never reached him." She paused, reliving the events again. "I had to choose between reaching him or saving my sister's life, and I chose to save her. The last thing I remember clearly of those events was stepping in front of Hans's sword, already swinging down toward my sister's head, and blocking it as I turned to ice."

A gasp rustled through the gathered trolls, quickly replaced by murmuring voices full of surprise and confusion.

"You turned—"

"—To ice?"

"But how?"

"How could—?"

"When I was frozen, I couldn't feel anything other that just being so intensely cold, like I would never be warm again. But then I felt something warm around me, and then I could feel my heart begin to heat up again..." She paused, grasping to remember the sensations that she had felt rush through her frigid body at that moment. "It was like being underwater, with everything dark and cold and numb, and then being pulled out of the water into the warm sunlight. I could hear all the noises around me, and I could feel the warmth of life, and I could smell the crisp air..." She smiled. "And I could see my sister's blue eyes, staring at me with all the love in the world." She looked around at the trolls, all attentively listening. "Kristoff told me that after I turned to ice, my sister Elsa started crying and hugged me, and that while she was holding me, I began to thaw. He thinks that the act of true love which saved me was my sacrificing myself to save Elsa's life."

The matronly troll stepped forward, looking up into Anna's flustered face with attentive eyes and a kind smile. "But my dear, you _have_ tasted true love's kiss."

"What?!" blurted Anna, nearly falling off the stump.

The old troll continued to smile as she reached out and took Anna's right hand in her own hands, curiously warm and soft like pumice. "It is obvious in your spirit," she said slowly. "We can see the telltale sparkles in the colors of life that dance around you. Not only have you found your true love, which we could see the first time Kristoff brought you to us, but now you have kissed your true love as well, awakening your heart to the touch of the one whom you are destined to make a new life with. It is a feeling which can overpower everything else."

Anna's mind was whirling, making the entire plateau seem to spin giddily around her. "B-but how?" she sputtered out. "I mean, I did kiss Kristoff, but it was more out of relief that Elsa was safe, that Arendelle was safe, and I certainly didn't feel anything special when I kissed him."

"It might have been the way he smells," offered the younger troll from earlier, causing a brief titter of laughter through the crowd.

Even Anna laughed at that one, although her mind continued to struggle to fit together the pieces of this peculiar puzzle. As the laughter quieted, she asked, "You had said 'an act of true love' earlier, when Kristoff brought me here. That it would take an act of true love to thaw a frozen heart and lift the curse."

"That would normally be true," came a voice from beyond the assemblage of trolls, and at the sound of that voice, the trolls began to part, revealing the troll Anna remembered Kristoff referring to as Grandpappie, or Grandpabbie—she couldn't remember which—walking into the gathering. "And, indeed, sacrificing yourself for someone you truly love would normally be sufficient to dispel such a curse... provided that the person so cursed was still alive." The troll came to halt in front of Anna, standing beside the matronly troll. "But once the ice has claimed its victim, no ordinary act of true love would be sufficient to break the curse once it had fully manifested."

"Then... what could?" asked Anna.

"Only the heartfelt acceptance of true love could break such a curse then. A pledging of hearts, a spiritual commitment, often in the form of a kiss, would be the only force powerful enough to break such a magical curse. Such an expression of true love is the mightiest force in existence, overpowering any barrier, any obstacle, to unite two people meant to be together."

Anna's heart began to pound. She hadn't wanted to fully think about this, hadn't wanted to even suspect that what her heart had been telling her on the ride up the mountain could possibly be true, but maybe—just maybe—it was. "When I kissed Kristoff, it was after I had been thawed," she whispered. "So he couldn't have..."

"No," said the eldest troll. "You were thawed because of the embrace of true love, a love powerful and meant to be. One heart pledged itself to another, and that pledge was returned, forming an ember of love that melted the icy curse."

"Elsa..." Anna whispered, her mind flashing back to her first waking thought after she had turned into ice. _I knew I was safe and that everything was going to be okay, because Elsa was with me and loved me._ "It all makes sense!" Anna shouted, standing in a flash and sending more than one troll toppling backward out of surprise. "And I kissed her right before I came up here! I had meant to kiss her on the cheek, but I sort of missed, and I got her mouth instead, and it felt—" She paused, unable to properly put the torrent of feelings and sensations into words and still do them justice. "It felt... like nothing I had ever felt before," she finally whispered.

She turned to look at the eldest trolls again. "But she's my sister!" she said, finally giving voice to the most frightening thought in her mind.

The elder troll smiled kindly as he patted her hands. "Love doesn't always follow rules," he said quietly. "Not your rules, not our rules. It follows its own rules. No one can help whom she falls in love with. Once love makes itself known, we can either embrace it or reject it. Both come with their own consequences."

Anna took the eldest troll's hands and squeezed them warmly. "Thank you, all of you, for talking to me. I now know what I have to do." She turned and ran to her backpack, removing and donning a thick hooded coat and unlacing the straps holding the wooden sled before putting her arms through the shoulder straps of the leather pack.

"Remember," said the matronly troll, "love has effects which cannot be easily foreseen. Regardless of which path you choose, love forever changes the lives of those it touches, sometimes for the good, sometimes for the bad."

Anna grinned, a smile that was rapidly hidden by the thick scarf she tied around her face and neck. "But even the bad can be worth it, as long as the two in love are together!" she shouted as she turned and ran to the edge of the plateau, leaping off with the sled held to her chest.

As her shouts of joy echoed across the snow-covered faces of the mountains, the trolls stepped forward to watch Anna sled fearlessly down the face of the mountain toward the city of Arendelle. "Our best wishes go with you, Princess Anna of Arendelle," said the eldest troll. "Love could not have chosen a more worthy champion than you."

**Author's Afterword:** I'm thinking this will be a three-chapter story. It's been soooo long since I've posted anything, all bets are off on how long it's take to get the next two chapters up, but I'm going to shoot for a week each. Hopefully I can manage that. I never would have guessed that this would be the next story I posted here, but life has funny ways of working. If you haven't read "Frozen Fractals" by **FrozenFractals** and "Argos" by **4mation**, please take the time to do so. Both of them take a walk toward the darkness at times, but I believe both stories are worth it and even better off for it. See you soon!


	2. Chapter 2: A Chance of Flurries

**Author's Note:** Chapter 2 is here! Expect things to start moving faster in chapter 3 and hit high gear in chapters 4 and 5. Thanks to those who have enjoyed the story so far. For those who have expressed interest, I do indeed have another Liley story which I have worked on (and off, and on) for quite some time. I'm hoping this creative jumpstart which _Frozen_ has given me will stick around for some time, so I can get some more stories finished.

**Cover Art** for the story is by the incredibly talented **Trixdraws** from DeviantArt. She was gracious enough to grant me permission to use her beautiful drawing, and I highly recommend you check out the rest of her art. I can't hotlink to it due to FFNet guidelines, but you can just pop over to her page at DA and check out her other stuff!

_Here are my standard disclaimers_: I make no claims on any of Disney's trademarks or copyrights, and no infringement is intended on them or those of any other artist or publication mentioned. Be forewarned that this story most certainly will contain femslash. If love and affection between two consenting young adults of the same sex bothers you, I suggest you turn right around and find something else to read. Keep any flames to yourself and remember that what our world needs now is more love and acceptance, not more hate. Reviews are always welcomed and appreciated! Some of the themes (well, one theme in particular, really) might make readers uncomfortable. I understand that. If you really don't like it, please stop reading and walk away from this story. I promise I won't be offended.

**Feel, Don't Conceal**

by Jo K.

Chapter 2: A Chance of Flurries

_It's funny how some distance makes everything seem small_

_And the fears that once controlled me can't get to me at all_

_It's time to see what I can do_

_To test the limits and break through_

_No right, no wrong, no rules for me_

_I'm free_

-Idina Menzel, "Let It Go" (from _Frozen_)

The August sun descended in the sky, painting the chambers of Queen Elsa of Arendelle in rich hues of gold, orange and amber. The palace staff had delayed dinner for half an hour at Elsa's request, but her sister Anna was still nowhere to be seen. Elsa had finally told them to proceed with serving dinner, not wanting to inconvenience the castle staff any longer. Per her earlier directions, Elsa's and Anna's meals had been brought to Elsa's private chambers; she had done this with the dual intention of spending some time with her sister and ascertaining Anna's thoughts on the brief kiss the two had shared earlier that day along the harbor.

Though it had been accidental, neither Elsa nor Anna could deny the heartfelt emotion that kiss had evoked in each of them. Elsa shuddered again as she remembered the way the kiss's burning energy surged throughout her body, equally thrilling and frightening her as she experienced it.

She stood, walking stiffly and slowly to gaze out the tall, thin window nearest the large table in her bedchamber. The bottom of the sun was nearly touching the mountain peaks; within two hours dusk would be upon Arendelle. Summer was passing quickly, with autumn hard on its heels.

She had already spent much of the evening considering the kiss between her and Anna and the mixed feelings that kiss had evoked. Fear was an emotion she knew intimately, much better than she ever would have wished. Fear had ruled most of her life, ever since the accident nearly fourteen years ago. Then, Anna had suffered a frozen head; that was enough for their parents to lock Elsa away in her room, to protect others from her icy powers and Elsa's poor control over them. But despite her best efforts, the hours she spent each day struggling to harness her powers and finally achieve some significant control over them, that goal continued to elude her. As her control failed to improve and desperation increased, her fear of hurting others—of hurting _Anna_—grew, and only her ongoing isolation in her vast chambers provided even a fleeting sense of comfort. Elsa was more than willing to endure the isolation to protect her little sister, but Anna refused to let her best friend go away so easily.

It had broken Elsa's heart to listen to Anna's pleading voice through the massive door simultaneously connecting and dividing their rooms. While most older siblings get to watch their younger brothers and sisters grow up, Elsa had to _listen_ to Anna do so. Anna's voice slowly changed as she grew, leaving childhood behind to enter adolescence, then deepening just slightly in timbre to mark her passing into young adulthood. Sadly, as Anna's voice changed, Elsa heard it less and less, and somehow, despite the enormous pain of hearing that lonely voice plead and question through the massive door over the years, the growing lack of Anna's voice had hurt Elsa even more.

Elsa fought the tears that came so easily with these thoughts. She had been trying to protect Anna, to do what her parents had told her would be best. Yes, it had hurt her most of all, to be isolated from her younger sister, but Elsa was willing to suffer to keep from hurting Anna, or anyone else, again. When she became of age to claim the throne of Arendelle, she focused entirely on suppressing her powers throughout the coronation ceremony and the royal ball that followed. However, that control was undone in spectacular fashion when Anna's blind infatuation with that bastard Hans, a piddling prince from the Southern Isles, sparked a confrontation between the two sisters. And once Elsa's powers had been revealed to all of Arendelle, fear overwhelmed Elsa like a sapling caught in an avalanche.

She closed her eyes and rested her forehead against the glass, relishing the coolness against her skin. Her thoughts had wandered enough to allow a light frost to descend upon her room, and a thin rime was starting to coat the window as she breathed upon the thick glass. Temperature wasn't really much of a concern for Elsa anymore, but she could still feel and appreciate the different temperatures. She had thought she had conquered her fears in her ice palace upon the face of the North Mountain, but she had been sadly mistaken. Instead she had traded one form of isolation for another, still hiding herself away from others for fear of injuring them with her powers, using distance instead of a door this time. She had never stopped to consider just how she had been hurting them, how she had been hurting Anna, with her absence.

"I will not let fear rule my life any longer," she said to herself, voice steely with resolve. Too much precious, precious time had already been lost in her short life. She would squander no more.

A loud thump against the doors to her chambers drew her attention away from the setting sun, Elsa whirling fast enough to set her long silver skirt fanning out as she turned. Before she could utter a word, the door latch clicked and the doors swung open, revealing a snow-covered figure who stood perfectly still, long furred hood hanging low enough to conceal the eyes and upper face beneath it. Snow was layered onto the thick leather coat, coating the hood, arms and chest, although the warmth of the castle was coaxing some of the snow to drip onto the well-worn rug beneath the figure's booted feet. Elsa's caller might have been impossible to identify were it not for the twin braids of coppery hair trailing out from beneath the large furred hood of her coat.

Elsa lifted her right hand to her mouth to conceal her smirk. It was a perfect Anna entrance, if a bit understated for her younger sister. As Elsa watched, an audible puff of exhalation sounded, accompanied by a significant amount of the snow spraying off the scarf covering Anna's mouth, forming a neat little cloud for a few seconds before drifting to the ground. Elsa finally started laughing, unable to maintain even a semblance of decorum at this point. "Freya's boar, Anna," Elsa lightly swore, still laughing as she walked over to her sister. "How long did it take you to plan this entrance out?" She waved subtly with her right hand, lifting the sodden snow covering her sister's thick coat and the small puddles forming on the floor into the air.

"Ifpth mpfthfr gtptlmph," mumbled a very familiar voice from beneath the patterned scarf.

"Hang on," said Elsa, dismissing the still-hovering wintery mix into vapor with another flick of her fingers. She lowered the voluminous hood, revealing her sister's sparkling eyes, a bright emerald in the dimming light, and her cinnamon hair. "You are such a mess," she teased, the loving smile on her face stretching wide as she playfully ran her left hand through her sister's hair. She wasn't entirely prepared for Anna's reaction, as her younger sister stood on her tip toes and leaned into Elsa's caress. Anna reached up and slowly but firmly tugged Elsa's hand down, out of her hair, to cup her freckle-dusted cheek. She closed her eyes as she relaxed into her sister's surprisingly warm hand, nearly purring in contentment.

Elsa's heart was pounding. Her mouth was dry, her breathing was ragged, her entire body was quivering. Unconsciously she stepped forward, putting her right arm around Anna as the younger girl snuggled against her body. Elsa closed her eyes, her throat so tight that she didn't even try to swallow. _I know what this is. I've never felt it, but I've read about it many, many times._ Now she did swallow, throat groaning in dry protest. _It's love. Gods and goddesses help us, it's love. And not just any love._

She opened her eyes again, a glittering tear of ice forming in the corner of her left eye. She refused to be afraid, because this was not a bad thing, no matter what anyone else might say. Anna had been right after all, up on the North Mountain, in the ice palace. They were together now, and there was nothing impossible as long as they were with each other. She squeezed Anna tightly as the single frozen tear slid down her cheek, slithering across Anna's hair, finally falling to the floor with a soft clink as it shattered upon on the slate floor. "True love," she whispered so softly as to be nearly inaudible.

"Hmm?" mumbled Anna, basking in her sister's warm embrace.

Elsa placed a chaste kiss on Anna's head, pressing the thick but soft hair against her scalp. "I'll tell you later," she said softly. "But we need to eat first before everything gets cold."

Anna leaned her head back enough to look into her sister's eyes, but she refused to budge out of the tight embrace. "What if I _like_ the cold?" she asked defiantly, the hint of a jaunty smile at the corners of her lips.

Elsa grinned. "Then I can oblige you."

"WHOOOP!" Anna shrieked as a breath-taking cold struck her rear and extended up her lower back, making her jump nearly off the ground. Elsa started laughing at her sister's facial expression, flickering between utter shock and embarrassment before finally succumbing to sputtering and laughter. Anna shook from the combination of cold and mirth as she brushed the thin layer of ice off her butt and lower back, casting an occasional reproachful glare at Elsa as she removed the heavy coat, dropping it on the stone floor with a muffled thump.

"Your face..." Elsa managed to gasp finally. She didn't remember the last time she had laughed so hard, and it felt... refreshing. Cleansing.

Anna strode over to Elsa's bed, perfectly made with soft satin sheets of the palest blue. She turned to look at Elsa, laughter now replaced by a sly smirk, before she pulled off her boots and jumped backwards onto the bed. She wiggled her body a few times to make sure all the moisture remaining on her back, butt and legs was transferred to the sheets beneath her.

A light thump beside her made her stop mid-wiggle. Elsa's long leg, dangling out from the high-slit gown, slid over her as her older sister straddled Anna, leaning over her to passively fix her in place. "What... are... you... doing?" Elsa breathed to her sister.

"I... am... drying... off," replied Anna, offering a fairly good imitation of her sister's voice and tone. "You put the ice there, so I figured it would be appropriate to use your bed to dry it off."

Elsa stared at her sister for a few seconds before she grinned again. "You are _such_ a brat," she said, sass dripping from her words.

"Goes with being the youngest," Anna replied, briefly flashing the tip of her tongue at her older sister.

"Young_er_."

"Younger. Sorry."

"You're the Crown Princess, Anna. You're going to be Queen someday. Presenting yourself properly is vitally important for a ruler, particularly when dealing with other royals."

Anna turned her head to the side. "I don't ever want to be Queen," she sighed sadly.

"What?"

"I said I don't ever want to be Queen."

"Why not? Anna, we're all that's left of the royal family of Arendelle. It's up to us to take care of our country and all the people living in it." Elsa scrutinized her sister's face. She was avoiding something. "Anna, why don't you want to be Queen? Be honest with me, please." As Elsa spoke the last words she realized how ridiculous her request really was; honesty had never been something Anna had ever demonstrated a problem with.

Anna slowly turned her head back to gaze up at her sister. "I don't want to be Queen," she said carefully, "because that would mean something had happened to you, and you weren't Queen anymore." Her lip briefly quivered. "And I don't want to ever be without you again."

Elsa leaned down and hugged Anna again, breathing out with a heavy sigh. "I'm sorry," she mumbled against Anna's warm hair. "I didn't think about it that way."

Anna sniffled once. "Yeah, well, I do think about it that way. So you just plan on being Queen for a long, long time, okay?"

Elsa smiled. "Deal."

"Deal."

"Now let me go so we can eat."

"Me? _You're_ the one who's got me pinned to the bed!"

"Do you have a problem with that?" The words were out before Elsa even realized she had spoken them, not thought them. Her heart began to race during the brief pause before Anna replied.

"No." A few seconds, then, "I don't have a problem with that at all."

Long seconds passed as the two young women stared into each other's eyes, different in color but equal in intensity. Elsa's eyes flickered to Anna's lips, which were beginning to part oh-so-slightly as her sister exhaled softly. Anna's eyes danced across Elsa's nose, her cheeks, her lips, her fine blonde hair, unable to settle upon a single subject when so much of her sister's visage cried out for her attention. Both bodies remained frozen otherwise, as neither girl wanted to take the next step for fear of frightening the other, but neither of them was quite ready to let go just yet.

"Elsa?" Anna spoke quietly, her mouth smiling again. She had smiled more today than she had in some months, and each smile made her want more.

"Yes, Anna?" Elsa's voice was slightly ragged, obvious to both girls.

"I want us to come back to this after we eat. Is... Is that okay?" She blushed, but she never looked away from Elsa.

Elsa nodded, once, twice, before she finally found her voice. "I'd like that. I'd like that very much."

"Then let me up, or we're going to forget about dinner."

_Screw dinner,_ Elsa thought. Before her conscience could kick in, another thought flashed through her mind: _Screw Anna, too. In a much more delightful way._ Now it was her turn to blush, and she did so furiously. She wasn't supposed to know words like that, but she had learned to be quiet and listen well over the years, and some of the conversations among the castle staff had expanded her vocabulary in ways a bit unseemly for a future queen.

She wrestled the prurient side of her brain into a brief submission finally, and she slid to the side to let Anna sit up. As Anna stood, Elsa scooted to the side of the bed and watched her sister walk to the darkly stained wood table on the other side of her expansive bedroom. She wasn't entirely sure what sex with a woman would be like, she had to admit, or really even how they would go about it. She had read most of the books in the castle library during her years of isolation, among them tomes with rather graphic descriptions and depictions of intimate activities, but they were all limited to acts between a man and a woman. She had learned what she had liked when she touched herself several years ago, but she had never spoken to any of the castle staff about sex or pleasuring herself, not even the handmaidens who had been close to her age back then. If anyone of them had ever been caught so much as hinting at such conduct, they would have been fired and exiled from the kingdom. _Well, most of it should be the same_, she thought as she gazed out the window to glimpse the day's last rays of sunlight. _I always wondered why books like that would be included in a library but I suppose they have a purpose after—_

The soft _thump_ of a strawberry bouncing off her forehead snapped Elsa's attention back to reality. She cast her eyes over to the table, where Anna sat in silent jubilation, mouth open and arms extended in celebration of her accuracy. "Really?" Elsa said, reaching up to wipe away the mildly sticky residue from the plump berry, spinning to a slow halt on the floor several feet away.

"Hey, you shoulda been paying attention. I talked, you didn't listen. What else was I supposed to do?" Anna said with a grin as she popped a blueberry into her mouth. "Come over and eat, silly."

Elsa stood slowly, taking the time to bring out her best regal demeanor as she crossed the room. She carefully sat down, not making eye contact with Anna as she began to fill her plate with fruit and venison. She began to carefully chew her food, keeping an eye on Anna until her sister picked up her cup of water. As Anna lifted the cup to her lips, Elsa wiggled her left index finger, freezing the water solid right before it touched Anna's mouth. Anna jerked slightly as the ice block hit her lips. She looked to her left. Elsa gave her a wink as she took a drink of her own water, still quite liquid.

Anna carefully placed her cup of ice back on the dark wood of the table. "Nice," she said with a nod. "How's, uh, that water?"

"Easier to drink than yours," Elsa mumbled, cup still to her lips, which very neatly hid any hint of a smile which might have been on her face.

"So..." Anna said slowly as they settled into eating. "What did you do for fun? You know, while you were in... your room?"

Elsa considered her words carefully. "Not much, I guess." She looked over at Anna, who was looking at her intently. "I wasn't in my room all the time. But I wasn't allowed to leave until everyone else was asleep or in another part of the castle. Mother and father didn't want to risk any incidents, as they put it."

"You weren't an incident, Elsa," Anna said softly.

"Oh, I was," Elsa replied. She flicked the fingers of her right hand at Anna, turning the ice in her cup back to water again.

"Oh, thanks."

"Don't mention it," Elsa said with a kind smile.

"Well, if you were an incident, what did they call me?"

"Different things, depending on whatever you had done at the time. Eating tarts and chocolate until you threw up all over the ballroom was trouble. Riding the horse through the castle kitchen started out as being rambunctious; when you somehow got the horse stuck in the bathroom on the third floor, that became a disaster."

"You knew about all that?"

"It was all any of the few servants allowed contact with me could talk about for two weeks."

They chewed quietly for a bit before Anna said, "I did that because I wanted to see you, you know."

"What?" That _was_ news to Elsa.

Anna nodded. "Yeah. It started out me just being mad because I still couldn't see you, but then I thought I might be able to slip away and get into your room while they were all chasing that horse. Didn't work, though."

Neither of them spoke for several minutes as they each focused rather deliberately on their food. The shadows in the room were growing longer and deeper as the sun slipped below the horizon and each young woman fell deeper and deeper into the thoughts spiraling through her mind. Anna shivered slightly; normally in her room she would have a small fire started by now, as even during Arendelle's summer, nights were cool.

Elsa noticed her sister's unconscious discomfort. "Hey," she said softly as she turned to look at Anna.

"Hmm?" Anna mumbled around a slice of apple.

"Why didn't you tell me you were getting cold?"

"I'm learning to love the cold," Anna said quietly, turning to look at her sister. "And anyway it's not that cold. I can always scoot closer to you to stay warm, you know."

As Anna did just that, sliding down the polished wood bench they shared, Elsa put her arm around her younger sister. "My powers make me immune to the cold," she said as Anna snuggled next to her.

Not missing a beat, Anna said, "My powers let me put up with you."

Elsa closed her eyes and smiled as she let herself relax and enjoy the sensation of Anna next to her, her warm body feeling like heaven itself. "I've missed you, little sister," she said tenderly.

"And I've missed you, Elsa." Anna wrapped her arms around Elsa and squeezed her tightly, only easing her grip when Elsa gasped slightly. "Sorry."

They sat like that for some time, neither pulling away when the servants came to clean the table and start a fire for the night. Anna didn't ask to spend the night, nor did Elsa offer, but both girls knew it was going to happen. Anna went to the bathroom first; indoor plumbing was a rarity in Arendelle, but the current castle had been built with it over two centuries ago. Elsa gave her a smile as they passed at the bathroom door. Anna was chilly after rinsing off, the water briskly cold against her body, so she hurriedly stripped off her robe and slid into the bed wearing just her short shift. She pulled the sheets and furs over her as she debated whether or not to remove her undergarment or leave it on; she was aching for Elsa to touch her in the way of a lover, but she didn't want to rush things and possibly scare Elsa off. She was still debating when the covers shifted and Elsa scooted in behind her.

Anna rolled over as Elsa pulled the blankets and furs up to her neck. "I—," she began. "I wasn't sure what... what to wear. Or what not to wear." She felt herself blushing, which irritated her more than she had anticipated. "I'm sorry, I really don't know what to—" Her words were hushed as Elsa's fingers touched her lips.

"It's okay," Elsa said with a loving smile, and instantly Anna felt herself melting, a feeling that tripled when Elsa scooted next to her and pulled her into a warm embrace. "We don't have to rush anything, Anna," Elsa whispered. "I want us to enjoy every minute, every second of each other from now on."

Anna couldn't help but start to cry softly. She nodded, being careful not to head butt her sister. "I'd— I'd like that, too."

When Elsa felt Anna's bare leg slide between her own, she thought time itself stopped for just a heartbeat or two. Anna hooked her right leg just over Elsa's right knee, not daring to go any farther or any higher, and Elsa carefully mirrored her sister's position, gingerly settling her her own left leg across Anna's body just below her right hip.

"It's like I can't get you close enough to me," Anna whispered against Elsa's skin. "And it's driving me crazy to not know what to do next."

Elsa lifted her head as Anna pulled her own head back enough for the two to look into each other's eyes. "Anna," she said, the single word and how it was spoken conveying love, acceptance and understanding all at the same time.

Anna smiled, eyes wet with tears of joy. "Elsa," she replied.

"There's no hurry, Anna," Elsa said calmly. "Neither of us is going anywhere. We're not being separated again, not ever."

Anna nodded again. "But that doesn't mean we're stuck in this castle. I'm spent enough of my life in these walls, and there's so much out there I want to experience with you."

"And you will—_we_ will—experience them together, I promise you."

Anna lifted her head just slightly, and the fine movements of her green eyes made them seem to dance in the flickering firelight as she searched Elsa's face for several seconds. As Elsa met and returned her curious gaze, Anna inched forward and touched her lips to Elsa's.

The reaction was instant, every sensation both girls had felt at the harbor all at once, but increased threefold. They pressed against each other's mouth, lips hesitantly opening and closing fractions of an inch as they both allowed themselves to explore, to enjoy this feeling as they couldn't earlier. Their breathes mingled as the first kiss became a second, then a third, then a fourth before numbers lost all meaning. Their bodies shifted gently against each other despite the fierceness of their embrace, and eventually lips drifted apart just enough to let them regain some semblance of reason. Elsa's lips parted as she concentrated on the taste of Anna's lips, the warmth of her mouth sliding against her own. Anna lightly ran her tongue across first her upper lip, then her lower, searing the taste of her sister's kiss into her memory. Green eyes met blue ones, and they both smiled broadly, reflecting no regret or shame in that gaze.

"I want to marry you," Anna whispered.

"You do?" replied Elsa, caught slightly off guard.

Anna nodded. "Yeah, I do. Because what I thought I felt for Hans... well, actually I did feel like I loved him. But what I felt for him... By sweet Freya herself, it was _nothing_ like what I feel for you, Elsa. It was like a single raindrop compared to a thunderstorm."

Elsa smiled. "Or maybe like a single snowflake in a blizzard?" she asked knowingly.

"Good analogy," Anna said precisely, rewarding her sister with a quick kiss on the tip of her nose. "I have grown to love blizzards, after all, but only when they have a certain special woman in the middle of them."

"Well, you better not be running into just any old blizzards, you know."

Anna grinned, and there was a hint in her green eyes of the little sister Elsa remembered playing with years ago. "Oh, don't worry. I plan on only building snowmen in your blizzard from now on." She drew quiet briefly before asking, "Do you think we can get married?"

Elsa's brow wrinkled just slightly. "Well, you _do_ have some pull with the Queen of Arendelle."

"And I would be _very_ grateful for anything the Queen could do in this situation."

"Really?"

"Um-hm."

"How grateful?"

Anna slid forward and kissed her sister again, this time letting boldness and desire fuel the kiss. When their lips parted, just a tiny sticking between their lower lips as they pulled away, both young women were nearly out of breath. "I'm not letting anyone else marry you, Elsa," she said, and the amount of conviction and determination in her voice could not have been clearer. "You're mine, and I'm yours. No matter what your advisers say. And if any of them try to argue with me, I'll take them up the North Mountain and feed them to your giant snowman."

"That would create quite a bit of gossip in the royal court, I imagine."

"Not if I fed all of them to him. Or it."

Elsa lifted her left hand up to stroke Anna's cheek. "Anna, I'm not marrying anyone else. Don't ever worry about that."

"Good," Anna said with a mild huff. "Because we belong to each other."

"I know," Elsa said. "True love."

"True love," Anna replied, basking in the feeling, in the absolute certainty, that the two were destined to be together, to be not just sisters but partners. To be a couple, like all those blessed enough to meet their true love.

"It's going to be tricky," Elsa finally said, not releasing her grip on Anna. "Let me think about how to present this to the royal court and to the kingdom overall." Sensing her younger sister's hesitation, Elsa quickly added, "Anna, I'm not afraid of us being together. I swear that to you. If the people are so against us being in love, as lovers, then we'll just leave together. We can go up to the Ice Palace and live our lives there, free from the petty jealousies and hatreds that so many people can't let go."

"And Olaf and Kristoff can come see us?"

"Absolutely. Any of our friends could come and see us. But I would not, I will not, allow anyone to threaten either of us or our love. Never again."

Anna smiled and closed her eyes as she settled fully into the soft bed. "Now that's the Elsa that I remember playing with." She yawned deeply, triggering a similar action in her sister. She started to let her mind relax before a thought sprung to her awareness. "Elsa?" she asked hesitantly.

"Yes, Anna?"

The lack of a response made Elsa open her eyes and shift her attention directly onto Anna's face. Her eyes were nervous, almost frightened, and Elsa reflexively wanted to do something, anything to make that look go away from her sister's expression. "Anna, what is it, my..." She smiled. "My love."

As she heard the term, Anna's face softened and her eyes grew moist. "I just— I mean, I..." She sighed, rolling her eyes once at how silly and indecisive she sounded, nothing like how a princess was supposed to present herself. "Elsa... will you please tell me what I did wrong? What I did that made our parents separate us from each other?"

Despite her years of training, of careful coaching on matters of etiquette and decorum, the pleading tone of her younger sister's question abruptly made Elsa break down into tears. "Oh, Anna," she said, as she held the sister she loved so much and yet so much more than a sister. "Sweet Anna, you never did anything wrong. It was all my fault." And so she told her. She told Anna all of it, about the accident where she froze Anna's head while trying to keep her from falling, about how their parents took them to the trolls, where Anna's injury was healed and the fateful decision was made by their parents to lock Elsa away, to forever conceal her powers to protect both the girls.

Anna listened to all of it, and this time she was in the role of big sister, consoling Elsa as she painfully bared her soul. All these years Anna had carried around the guilt of being the reason she and Elsa were no longer able to see each other, while never remembering exactly what she had done to create such a division. Now Anna realized that Elsa had also carried that burden all those years, but her burden had been real, further magnified by having to remember it every day of her life from then on. And so the more she comforted her sister and whispered that it was okay, that everything was okay, that they were together and would always be together, the more Anna got mad.

She wasn't angry at Elsa, not in the least. Her sister had done nothing but suffer, all in the name of protecting Anna. No, Anna grew angry at their parents, for coming up with such a stupid idea as locking them away from each other. Why couldn't they have seen that the two of them needed each other, that this idiotic plan would only made things so much worse?

"Don't be mad at them," whispered Elsa, her voice raw from the mix of tears and confession.

"What?" asked Anna, surprised.

Elsa kissed Anna on the lips, and Anna felt much of her rising fury boil away in the heat of their connection. As they ended the kiss slowly, Elsa brushed away her frosty tears with her bare fingers. "I know you well enough to tell when you're angry, Anna. And I can guess what you're getting angry about, with what I'm telling you."

Anna nodded. "Yeah, you probably can."

"I've had years to hate them, Anna," Elsa admitted slowly. "And after that, I had years to hate them for dying and leaving us, without ever telling us we could be back together."

"Still not hearing a reason not to hate them yet."

"Anna, they didn't mean to hurt us. They thought they were doing what was best for us."

"And they were—"

"Wrong, yes. By all the gods, yes, they were wrong. But they didn't do it to punish us, or to hurt us. They thought they were protecting you, protecting me, protecting all of Arendelle. And they certainly didn't mean to die on their voyage across the ocean."

Anna sighed, reluctantly releasing more of the indignation she felt growing toward their parents. "Okay. I can believe that. But beyond all the pain they caused us growing up, their separating us nearly got us both killed and the kingdom stolen!"

"And again, they couldn't have know that." She held Anna's head against her, cradling it in the crook of her neck as Anna placed soft kisses on Elsa's pale skin. "I have spent so, so much of my life with fear and regret, Anna, and it took losing you for me to realize just how much more important love was than either of them."

Anna thought as the two of them grew quiet, her lips becoming still but remaining in contact with Elsa's skin. "Maybe..." she whispered finally, stirring Elsa from the early caress of sleep.

"Mm?" Elsa said slowly. "What, Anna?"

"Maybe we had to grow up the way we did," Anna said slowly, carefully, thinking things out as she spoke. "Maybe if hadn't been separated, we'd have grown up as sisters but nothing more. We'd have both been married off to some Prince in whatever-land, and we'd likely have never seen each other again." She slid up in the bed so that their faces were aligned, their lips nearly touching. "Maybe we had to endure our isolation, so we would find our own strength to accept what our hearts would try to tell us. About you and me."

Elsa's sapphire eyes slid open as her lips shifted into a warm smile. "If so, then it was all worth it," she said simply. They kissed again, tenderly at first and then hotly, breaking after nearly a minute. Elsa stared into her sister's eyes, just visible in the firelight flickering off the walls. "I'll handle the nobles and the royal court," she said. "We need to wait a few days, until the delegations from the neighboring countries return."

Anna couldn't help but smile slyly. "Yeah, you did sort of send them running for home. I can't blame them for wanting to make sure Blizzard Elsa is under control before they come back."

"I think there are going to be lots of promising suitors who will be sorely disappointed to find we're both off the negotiating table. I'd like to speak with some of the visitors who aren't here searching for a wife before we break the news, both to the visiting delegations and to Arendelle, and I want to be very careful how we do it. Whether we like it or not, we are the Queen and the Crown Princess of Arendelle, and the decisions we make affect not just us but also our country."

"At least until they run us off," Anna said with a yawn. "But let 'em try."

"Yes," Elsa said, causing Anna to blink her eyes open again and regard her sister with obvious confusion. "I said, yes," Elsa added, as if that should have clarified her point. Seeing that Anna still wasn't following, likely due to fatigue from a very trying day, Elsa found and took her sister's hand beneath the covers. "I mean, yes, I'll marry you, Anna."

Anna began to cry, quietly but uncontrollably. She lovingly, tenderly kissed her sister—her bride-to-be, now. "What are we going to do about rings?" she asked. "And where are we going to hav—"

Elsa silenced her sister with a lingering kiss. "No more words tonight," she said against Anna's warm lips.

Anna rolled over and settled her body back against Elsa's with a sigh of contentment. "It's the first night of the rest of our lives," she said, her voice weary but elated as sleep claimed them both.

**Author's Afterword:** So why did I go with a lingering Norse religious influence in general, and why Freya in particular being in the girls' minds? Well, the setting of Arendelle is based of Norway predominantly, although it gives me a bit of an Icelandic feel, too. And Freya is the Norse goddess of love and fertility. I felt that Elsa and Anna would also identify a bit more with the Vanir side of the Norse mythos, too. Not exactly sure why, other than both tend to break the mold of expectations and conventions. It just feels right. I don't think either Elsa or Anna are particularly what we would call religious, though. Both of them have been through so much, I think that they would have lost much of their faith in deities overall, instead only really feeling comfortable in what they can see, feel, hear and decide for themselves. I understand this is an approach that might ruffle feathers, but it's what feels right. And hey, we're already dealing with subject matter that ticks plenty of people off already, right? Might as well be true to the story. Hope you've enjoyed this chapter! I will continue to shoot for a chapter a week, but bear with me if I do run late. See you then!


	3. Chapter 3: Unpleasant Duties

**Author's Note:** Hope you're enjoying things so far! Thanks to everyone for putting up with me getting back up to speed. It's been over two years since I sat down and wrote a multi-chapter story, and I had some rust on my keyboard. The rest of the chapters will be longer and actually advance the story, and I decided to forget my self-imposed constraints of five chapters. This story will be as long as it needs to be. For those curious, I went with Standard/British units throughout this story simply because it fits the feel of this story more than metric units would.

Cover Art for the story is by the incredibly talented Trixdraws from DeviantArt. She was gracious enough to grant me permission to use her beautiful drawing, and I highly recommend you check out the rest of her art. I can't hotlink to it due to FFNet guidelines, but you can just pop over to her page at DA and check out her other stuff!

_Here are my standard disclaimers_: I make no claims on any of Disney's trademarks or copyrights, and no infringement is intended on them or those of any other artist or publication mentioned. Be forewarned that this story most certainly will contain femslash. If love and affection between two consenting young adults of the same sex bothers you, I suggest you turn right around and find something else to read. Keep any flames to yourself and remember that what our world needs now is more love and acceptance, not more hate. Reviews are always welcomed and appreciated! Some of the themes (well, one theme in particular, really) might make readers uncomfortable. I understand that. If you really don't like it, please stop reading and walk away from this story. I promise I won't be offended.

**Feel, Don't Conceal**

by Jo K.

Chapter 3: Unpleasant Duties

_Let it go, let it go_

_I am one with the wind and sky_

_Let it go, let it go_

_You'll never see me cry_

_Here I stand and here I stay_

_Let the storm rage on_

-Idina Menzel, "Let It Go" (from _Frozen_)

Anna's breathing was deliberately shallow as she carefully drew the bowstring back. A cured patch of leather protected her right index and middle fingers as she used them to slowly, carefully pull the drawstring back until her right hand was just below her right jaw. She used the tiny marks along the body of her bow to account for the estimated distance as she aimed at the elk, initially unsuspecting as it approached her but growing increasingly wary with each step. As its steps slowed, Anna maintained her aim but mentally cursed the poor angle the large animal currently presented. If she were to shoot now, the odds were high her arrow would be deflected by the creature's shoulder blade, saving it from a killing shot.

A noise from Anna's right made the elk slightly turn to its left and freeze, analyzing the new input in a split second. Knowing this was likely her best shot, Anna instantly moved a hair to her left, targeting the elk's body just behind its right shoulder, held her breath and smoothly released the bow's drawstring.

The arrow shot through the forest, covering the yards between her and the elk in less than a heartbeat, striking the animal with a solid thunk. The elk exploded into motion, the fallen needles strewn across the forest floor flying into the air as its hooves tore into the ground. It galloped away, but already it seemed slightly unsteady on its feet, weaving through the tall trunks of the firs and pines as it sped away.

Anna drew and nocked another arrow as she began to chase after the elk, but the firm grasp on her right elbow halted her in her place. She turned to see the weathered face of Sir Kjell, the royal hunter, grinning at her.

"Excellent shot, your highness!" he said, pride evident in his voice. "A killing blow if I've ever seen one."

Anna turned to look at the elk, fading rapidly it continued to gallop away. "But it's getting away!" she said. "Don't we need to chase it?"

"Your highness, despite your ability to leave your royal guards behind, I'm fairly sure that even you cannot outrun a full-grown elk."

"But..."

Rather than reply with words, the older hunter released Anna's elbow and walked past her. He continued with his customary slow, reasoned pace until he reached the site where the elk was standing when Anna's arrow struck. He motioned for her to join him.

Anna took one last look at the elk, still running, before sighing loudly and walking across the soft ground of the forest to join Kjell.

"Look, Princess Anna," he said, pointing at a large patch of blood on the ground, a small pool in the center with spatters all around. Gouges into the bare earth were evident where the elk had started running, kicking the brown needles clear with its forceful takeoff. "We can't outrun the elk with speed. Instead, we track him by this blood trail," he swept his arm, pointing out more spatters of blood along the forest floor, "and keep a steady pace until he can run no farther. That way we reach him before the wolves or a bear can find him."

Anna nodded. It made sense. "Okay," she said. "Then we better get going, because I've already had a run-in with wolves once in this forest. I'd prefer not to have another one just yet."

"With the ease with which you've learned this last week, Your Highness, it might be the wolves who should steer clear of you," Kjell said in a matter-of-fact tone, then he turned and began to walk through the forest. "You'll want to keep pace on the other side of the trail. Initially the distance between drops can be greater than expected, but as the animal tires, the distance will shorten, making it easier to follow. With two sets of eyes following the trail, we stand a better chance of spotting any sudden turns it might take." He had been surprised to learn that Princess Anna had taken archery lessons for years, only stopping them due to a sudden outbreak of mysterious holes in several of the portraits found throughout the castle, each hole roughly the size of a target arrowhead. He had been even more surprised when the princess came to him nearly a week ago and asked to join him on some of his hunts. The reason she had given was to help provide food and clothes for Arendelle and its citizens, but he had relied on his perception and intuition long enough to know there were unspoken reasons for the young princess's request. However, he knew better than to inquire. If Princess Anna wanted him to know, she'd tell him. If not, so be it.

As they stalked their prey through the deep forest of evergreens, Anna tried very hard to keep her focus on trailing the elk that would serve as not just food for several of Arendelle's less fortunate families but also clothing, thread, even material for crafts. But despite her attempts to maintain focus, her mind kept drifting away, back to a certain blonde queen who was likely still asleep in bed. The bed which Anna had shared with her for two weeks now, each night more magical than the one before.

The light smack of branches across her face rather rudely yanked Anna back into the real world. She halted, using her right hand to swipe the branches away while she carefully extricated her head from the low-hanging limb. She emerged from the spruce's grasp with her face lightly tingling from the scrapes of the firm needles and her hood yanked down, exposing her hair, pulled into her customary twin braids. The dim light of the early morning wasn't quite bright enough to properly illuminate her hair, but it was enough to hint at its burnished shade of copper; she quickly brushed her bare right hand across her hair to dislodge any needles or bark which might have fallen into her tresses before she caught sight of Kjell looking at her with poorly-disguised amusement. As soon as their eyes met, that look was gone, carefully replaced by a more proper look of concern.

"It's okay to laugh, you know," Anna said, not quite whispering but her voice still low. "It must have looked pretty stupid." She turned her attention back to the trail of blood ahead of them, fighting the urge not to laugh at herself. It did seem as if the trail was getting easier to follow now, with the dots of blood becoming more consistent as they walked.

Kjell returned his focus to the task of trailing the elk. After a few minutes of silence, his calming voice came as a bit of a start to Anna. "Must have been important. Whatever you were thinking of when you walked into that tree."

A small grin briefly sprawled across Anna's face, a luxury she afforded herself in the company of the Royal Hunter. "It's just been a really good last two weeks," she said off-handedly. "Especially after the whole Eternal Winter thing." She thought, then added, "And someone trying to steal the kingdom and kill Elsa." They walked quietly for a bit longer, then Anna added, "Oh, and me dying. Totally forgot about that."

Kjell had not been present for that crisis, but he had been told about it by enough people to believe that it had indeed happened. Since then he had seen Queen Elsa's powers firsthand on occasion, and once you had seen a woman create and shape ice and snow to her will, it wasn't that far of a leap to believe that someone could be magically turned to ice yet return to life. After all, stories like that had been told to children of Arendelle for centuries. Although the stories he remembered ended with a prince breaking the magical curse with a kiss; apparently the royal sisters of Arendelle had no need of third party intervention.

They crested a small rise and finally saw the elk, lying on its side at the bottom of a small depression. They carefully descended the hill, pine needles skittering occasionally as a foothold would partially give way. Anna stopped beside the elk, massive but obviously dying, her arrow still protruding from its side, a partially clotted rivulet of blood connecting the wound to the ground below. As the creature heaved for breath, Anna felt tears begin to run down her cheeks.

"It's never easy."

She turned to see Kjell, standing beside her. He seemed to be unsure if it would be appropriate to hug her, so instead he gently patted her right shoulder twice. She wiped her face, furious with herself for crying like a small child. Kjell slid his knife out of its sheath by his side and stepped to the elk, kneeling beside the animal's head. Anna couldn't see what he was doing due to his position, which was obviously done on purpose, and for some reason that made her even angrier with herself. "Wait!" she said, more harshly than she had meant.

The old hunter held still, right arm raised but not moving. "You don't have to see this, your highness. I'm only ending this creature's suffering."

Anna stepped around him, and now she could see his knife poised over the elk's throat, the fingers of his left hand gently resting on the animal's fur. She shook her head twice before saying, "No. I do have to see." When he looked up at her, she could see compassion in his eyes. He wanted to spare her the grisly sight of what he was about to do, and that was clear from his expression.

"I have to see this," Anna continued. "I was the one who shot it, and I have to see, to experience the consequences. Whether I want to or not, I must see it through." She took a deep breath, but no calm came from it.

Kjell looked at her for a few moments before turning back to the elk. "Yes, your highness," he said quietly, and with a flash of the knife's blade the deed was done. The elk drew just two more breaths before stilling, a small spray of blood on the brown needles beneath its nose. The older man maintained his position, then he extended his left hand and patted the creature on its thick neck. "It deserved a quick end to its suffering. Even though we must hunt to feed and clothe our people, we can do it without being unnecessarily cruel."

Anna was shivering, although the chill in the air no longer had much power over her. As her and Elsa's relationship had grown stronger and more intimate, she had found that the cold's grip on her had diminished markedly. "I am Arendelle's Crown Princess," she said, her voice eerily unfamiliar in the silence of the forest. "And one day I might be Queen. I will have to learn to do things I might not enjoy as part of that responsibility, and I might as well start now." _And the next time someone tries to kill my sister, she won't have to fight alone._

"Had to see Queen Elsa do some things like that, I suppose," Kjell said with a nod as he removed his light pack, producing a rope from its folds. He didn't wait for a reply as he slipped the loop around the elk's neck, then tossed the rope on the other side of the creature, next to its back. "Unpleasant duties, I mean. Wouldn't imagine she'd be putting down an elk or reindeer."

As she watched the older man make a long, deft cut lengthwise along the elk's belly, Anna's gaze never wavered. Her stomach heaved as she watched him deftly remove the elk's internal organs with his gloved hand, only pausing twice to make brief cuts as he worked, but she kept watching. As he field dressed the animal, Anna's mind replayed a conversation from last night.

"_Anna, we have to at least look like we're giving them some consideration."_

"_Why?" Anna had asked angrily. "You have no desire in marrying any of them!"_

"_Please, Anna, calm down."_

"_I _am_ calm."_

"_No you're not. When your face is bright red, you're not calm."_

_Anna sighed, then spun around and walked over to the bed she was beginning to think of less as Elsa's and more as theirs. She lifted the short nightshirt's hem as she slid onto the bed, scooting over to the side closest to the windows. "Fine. I'm trying to calm down. Is that okay?"_

_Elsa nodded. "That's a good start," she said calmly. She waved her right hand, and a light flurry of snow began to fall in front of Anna's face._

"_You're going to get the bed wet."_

_Elsa stopped at the edge of the bed, her hands deftly pulling hairpins from her head, depositing them in one of the small porcelain bowls on her nightstand. She fixed Anna with a teasing gaze, then she said, "So?" with a smirk._

_The comment and sultry way it was delivered did little to lighten Anna's flushed face. Momentarily at a loss for words, she simply sat up as Elsa waved the tiny flurry away and slid into bed beside her. Her mouth opened, then closed again before she could speak. "That... was not fair," she said as she settled against her sister's body, enjoying the way their bodies fit together like two pieces of a puzzle. They had not fully consummated their relationship yet, but they had steadily grown more comfortable with each other over the last fortnight, and as that comfort grew, so had their desire to explore each other completely. _

_They kissed, simply at first but quickly shifting into a deeper, more yearning kiss. As they broke the kiss, Anna reached up and ran her hand through Elsa's straight blonde hair. "You are more beautiful than anything I've ever seen," she said honestly as she looked into Elsa's bright blue eyes. "And there's no way that I could watch some man dance with you and flirt with you without getting royally pissed off."_

_Elsa smiled as she kissed Anna again. "Well, you wouldn't be my sister if you didn't," she admitted before kissing Anna again, this time lingering longer and pressing their lips together hotly. "But in addition to being my sister, you also happen to be the woman I love, my one true love, and I promise you that things will be kept strictly formal over the next five days..."_

"_Good."_

"_...for both of us."_

"_WHAT?!" Anna shrieked, jumping up in the bed as she whirled to look at her sister, still lying there on her side with her head propped up on her right arm, a knowing smile on her face. "No. No no no no." She shook her head. "You didn't."_

_Elsa nodded once. "I did."_

"_But, Elsa, WHY?!"_

_A thump at the door was immediately followed by the latch being turned, allowing two royal guards to burst into the room. Elsa was instantly glad that no articles of clothing had been removed just yet. The two of them had spent the night together ever since the coronation, which was news enough throughout the castle, but being caught in bed together in the nude would have been a much harder rumor to quash. "We're fine, we're fine," she said to the flustered guardsmen, both brandishing their halberds threateningly while trying not to look embarrassed at barging in upon their queen and princess. "My sister was having another dream, but she's alright now. Aren't you, dear Anna?"_

_As Elsa gently tugged Anna back down, she played along, but all while giving Elsa a look that could have boiled water at ten feet. As the guardsmen left and the door closed, Anna hissed, "Dammit, Elsa, why would you do this to me? Especially after all that with Hans and the fool I made of myself then! I don't need to be reminded—"_

"_Look at me," Elsa said, her tone no longer that of a lover but more of an older sister—or perhaps that of a queen. Anna slowly looked into her sister's eyes; she was surprised to see tears forming there. "I do NOT want to do this, Anna. I have no more desire to have fools and liars preening over me than you. But right now it's vitally important that we present this opportunity to the various kingdoms, because we need to establish to them that WE are the rulers of Arendelle and that we are firmly in control of things here."_

"_You mean you."_

"_No, I mean WE."_

"_I didn't have 'Queen' before my name last time I checked."_

_Elsa smiled. "Not yet."_

Anna pushed the memory back into the depths of her thoughts as Kjell stopped, a pile of offal now off to the side of the field-dressed elk carcass. Retrieving his pack, he removed a hatchet, a smaller rope and two wooden rods, each about two feet long. After finding and quickly hacking down two long, fairly straight branches, Kjell used the rope to fashion the rods and branches into a travois. He then took the rope still tied around the elk's neck and tossed it over a sturdy limb. As he heaved the elk slightly off the ground, Anna slid the travois beneath the creature's body, then he eased the elk's full weight onto the makeshift sled. He untied the rope and returned it to his pack, which he then slid back onto his shoulders. As he stepped between the poles to begin dragging the travois, Kjell was surprised to see Anna grab one of the poles. "I can get this, Your Highness," he said, hesitant to remove her hand from the pole.

"I really don't mind to help," Anna said. "It's a bit to the horses."

"Your Highness, with all due respect, I would prefer not to be known throughout Arendelle as the old man who made Princess Anna drag an elk out of the woods." He allowed a small smile to turn the corners of his mouth, but he was truly pleased when Anna released her grip on the travois pole. "Thank you, Your Highness," he said with a small nod.

Within twenty minutes they had reached the spot where they had tied their horses; another ten minutes saw the travois hitched to Anna's paint horse. When she protested, Kjell reminded her that she had been the one who shot the elk, and he wanted her to receive the recognition for her deed. She grudgingly accepted; he was right, but today was not a day she wanted extra attention.

Over the last week, the visiting delegations from other nations had arrived, just one or two at first but quickly increasing into a torrent. Arendelle's main harbor was spacious, but even it had run out of berths eventually, forcing the most recent delegations to anchor farther out in the bay and be ferried ashore. All of Arendelle's inns and cabins had been filled beyond capacity to accommodate the staff of the visiting royals, while the most important visitors had been given rooms at the castle. Elsa had made it quite clear to all parties that any erstwhile suitors were expected to be on their best behavior and respect all formalities during their stay, or she would see them removed from her kingdom posthaste. She had considered threatening to freeze them solid, but she elected against that for the time being.

The first royal ball was to be tonight, followed by dinner, and Anna found herself quite anxious. This would be the first time that any of the visiting princes, dukes, barons, counts and whatever else would have the opportunity to interact with Elsa or Anna, and she just wasn't sure if she could do it. Not only did the very thought of dancing with the next Hans make her stomach churn, the thought of seeing her sister put on display for all the prowling bachelors to drool over made her seethe.

"Your Highness."

"Yes, Sir Kjell," she called out over her shoulder.

"Perhaps you should slow your pace a bit. I don't believe the travois is designed to bounce quite so high."

Anna turned in the saddle; sure enough, the travois was indeed bouncing slightly, leaving a slight trail of dust on the road behind it. Anna growled to herself as she tugged lightly on the reins, slowing her mount's pace. "Sorry. Was letting my thoughts wander again."

"Yes, Your Highness," Kjell called back pleasantly.

As they reached the edge of the city, Arendelle was coming to life. The sun was now fully over the horizon, and the city's citizens were beginning to bustle about. Anna received quite a few looks as she and her horse pulled their load to the springhouse where Rogr the butcher plied his trade.

Arendelle's citizens regarded their young princess with varying combinations of respect, admiration and pride as they waved and spoke to her, the large elk being pulled behind her mount drawing its own share of attention. For the many visitors, however, the looks were altogether unsettling, ranging from leering glances to snobbish dismissal. Anna couldn't help but smile at some of the more offensive looks she received; she suspected that when the visitors saw her at the ball tonight and realized just whom they had ogled in the street that morning, the expressions would be entirely different.

Rogr was quite pleased as Anna and Kjell pulled up beside his springhouse. Traditionally built over a cold creek coming off a mountain, the springhouse served as cold storage for perishable foods, particularly meats. While the temperature was never cold enough to freeze, it was greatly cooler than outside temperature, and protection from sunlight and hungry animals further helped preserve the meats hung inside it. Anna couldn't resist but peek inside its dark recesses, marveling at the smoked and cured meats hung along the rafters and beams as well as the fresh cuts of meat stored closest to the spring. She also noted the large slabs of ice in the darkest, coldest corner of the springhouse; she smiled as she considered who must have procured and delivered those massive blocks of ice. By the time she exited the springhouse, the two men had used a block and tackle to hoist the elk into the air, suspending it so it could be properly skinned and butchered. After thanking Kjell again, Anna and her horse hurried back to the castle.

If Anna had her way, she'd have stripped her hunting clothes off as soon as she crossed the threshold into the castle, but decorum and their many guests made that impossible, so she settled for dropping her light jacket, her boots and her socks at the door before sprinting deeper into the castle. As Anna raced through the castle, barefoot as the day she was born, she couldn't help but laugh with delight. Despite all the suitors with designs on marrying both her and her sister, the excitement and bustle in the castle now, so different than how it had been growing up, never failed to lift her spirits. More than one noble son attempted to get her attention with either a subtle gesture or coy look as she ran, but she ignored them all as she sprinted across the main hall of the castle. She ascended the large central staircase two and three steps at a time, nearly running into a poor handmaiden who hadn't been looking far enough ahead to avoid the speeding princess. As she reached the second floor, she grabbed the smooth wooden banister and used it to swing to her left, pointing her down the grand hallway toward the adjoining chambers she and Elsa shared; she jumped as she ran, unable to keep her feet on the ground due to the combined excitement of telling her sister about her morning and wrapping her in a long, lingering hug.

"Elsa!" she yelled as she burst into Elsa's chambers. "Elsa!" She looked around, but her sister was nowhere to be seen. She frowned and lightly bit her lip. "Hm." It wasn't time for the reception, and Elsa's gown of choice was hanging on the dressform, so she hadn't gone down early. Anna walked over and ran her fingers over the shimmering gown; it was made entirely of spun ice, obviously one of Elsa's creations. Elsa's powers kept the ice from melting at Anna's warm touch, and she took the opportunity to peruse the full-length turquoise gown at length. The ice had the softness of silk and the slick feel of, well, wet ice, catching and reflecting the light in ways no ordinary fabric could. Yet despite the time Anna spent examining the gown, her fingers never grew cold or painful.

She could feel the chill of the ice, certainly. But it never seemed to penetrate her skin. Her fingers did not turn white, or blue, or even red. There was no numbness or pain, although her fingers finally became uncomfortably cold after several minutes of continuous contact with the ice of the gown. When she took her fingers away, there was only a hint of wetness, and that was just pleasantly cool, not cold or frigid. "Something is definitely changing," she muttered to herself, "and I li—"

The opening of the door leading into Elsa's parlor caused Anna to face that way, in time to see Elsa and a slightly familiar woman of roughly the same age as her sister come through. "And this is where we sleep," Elsa said to her guest, stopping abruptly as she registered Anna's presence.

"Hi!" Anna said cheerfully, waving to the other woman. She was slightly taller than Elsa, with a head full of dark honey blonde hair. Her smile was tantalizingly familiar, and Anna found herself straining to place where she had seen the woman before.

"Anna!" Elsa said with a little clap. She hurried over at a rather un-queenly pace to wrap her sister in a hug. "I missed you, my love," she said in a soft voice, her warm breath against Anna's ear sending delightful shivers down Anna's neck and back.

"I missed you, too, Elsa," Anna said with a regular voice, only barely restraining from giving her sister a kiss that most certainly would not have been considered sisterly. "Who's this?" she asked as she looked at their visitor. "She's so familiar..."

"She should be," Elsa said with a smug smirk. "Considering we used to play with her when we were younger. Before... you know."

Anna stepped closer to the blonde, who didn't seem to be offended in the least at Anna's scrutiny. In fact, she lightly giggled as she tried to stay still, letting Anna take her time as she examined her. As Anna looked into her eyes, the blonde blinked twice and flashed a smile that would been right at home on the face of a child caught raiding the cookie jar.

"Rapunzel?" Anna said, scarcely believing it. The blonde nodded right before she was nearly knocked down by the force of Anna's hug. "'Punzel!" Anna cried, using the name her two-year-old self, still learning how to talk, had given her cousin. "What are you doing here? I haven't heard from you for years!"

"It's a long story," Rapunzel said pleasantly, "Much like the long story you and Elsa went through over the last fourteen years." She glanced over at her older cousin before she looked back at Anna. "Elsa has told me about what happened with the two of you, as well as what happened to your parents. I'm sorry for both of you, both for their loss and what you two had to endure growing up."

"Thanks," Anna said, "We've learned to deal with it." She cast a glance at Elsa, getting a knowing smile in return. "I'm still furious about what our parents did to Elsa, but as long as Elsa and I have each other, everything is wonderful now."

Rapunzel showed her own sly smile. "I've heard," she said, gesturing toward Elsa with her left hand. "Elsa has been filling me in about how you two are making up for lost time now."

_I'll say_, Anna thought, feeling a light blush creep across her face. Feeling Elsa's surprisingly frosty breath on her ear didn't help her composure either, as her sister whispered, "Anna, I think we should tell her."

Rapunzel slowly walked around the room, pausing to admire a portrait of the two sisters when they were toddlers. "This room really has a lot of usable space," she said, as much to herself as to Anna and Elsa. "Maybe some flowers might pull things together in here, make it not quite so dark." She stopped to check the window, peeking out and mentally estimating the distance to the ground below.

Anna whispered to Elsa, "Do you think we can trust her?"

Elsa nodded. "After hearing what she's been through, I think she'll understand more than anyone."

"Oooh! I love secrets!" Rapunzel cooed as she hurried across the room to where Anna and Elsa were whispering. "Is it about this 'special someone' you were telling me about earlier, Elsa? Hmm?"

Anna had never seen Elsa turn as bright a shade of red as she proceeded to do. "A special someone, huh?" she said, quite sure whom it was Elsa was referring to but eager to make her sister squirm for a bit. "I want to hear about this special someone too!"

"Yes, tell us, please!" added Rapunzel. "Some of the things you were saying were so wonderfully romantic! I can't wait to meet this man who's stolen your heart!"

Elsa turned to look at Anna, whose big emerald eyes blinked twice in a feigned show of innocence. "Really?" she asked, getting another blink in return as Anna held her exaggerated look of interest. She put her arm around Anna and turned to look at Rapunzel. "You're probably going to want to sit down for this one, 'Zel," she said with a light sigh, gesturing toward the nearest table and chairs.

Rapunzel looked utterly thrilled at the suspense, taking quick steps to the table and throwing herself into the chair hard enough to send it scooting a few inches across the slate floor. "Okay, Elsa, now you've really got me intrigued!" She gasped, her hands flying up to cover her mouth as she scooted to the edge of the high-backed wooden chair. "Is it a commoner? Is that your true love? That really _would_ be scandalous!"

Elsa shook her head as she and Anna walked over to the table. "No, it's not a commoner, 'Zel," she said. "Although it is someone that you wouldn't expect."

"Is it an older man?" Rapunzel asked, now thinking about possible questions to tease out clues.

"No," Elsa said, faintly smiling. "Younger than me, but not by much."

"Is he good to you? Does he return your love?"

Elsa closed her eyes. "This person returns my love wholeheartedly. We've already discussed it more than once, and I'm sure of it."

Rapunzel's eyes grew big. "Oh! Have you two-"

"No, not yet. Not all the way." A poke in the ribs from Anna drew a playful shove from Elsa. "You stay out of it, Anna!" she teased. "Anyway, you already know all about it."

Anna nodded. "That's true," she said to Rapunzel. "I can back up that statement about this person loving everything about Elsa, from the way she laughs to the way she sings to the way she walks." She turned to regard her older sister before adding, "In fact, this person loves Elsa inside and out, not just her beauty but also her mind and her spirit."

"Wow," Rapunzel breathed, leaning forward and resting her elbows on her knees as she looked at Elsa. "Sounds like this person is someone you could trust."

"Absolutely," Elsa said with a nod. "With anything."

"Could you trust him with the kingdom?"

Elsa smiled. "There is absolutely no one I would trust more with this kingdom, with my life, or with my heart."

"Then why are you receiving hopeful suitors tonight? For you, I mean. Sorry, Anna, I know you're seeing them too. I keep forgetting you're of age now."

"I'll be nineteen in four months," Anna added helpfully. "Can't wait to get married, either!" She gave Elsa a squeeze with the arm she still had wrapped around Elsa's waist.

"Ooooh! Someone special for you too?" Rapunzel practically squealed.

Anna looked back at Elsa, patting her on the back gently. "Oh, let's not worry about me just yet. Elsa's still wanting to tell you who her true love is!"

Elsa shot a weak glare at her sister. "Thanks... sis."

"You're most welcome!" Anna said brightly. "Far be it from me to knock a conversation off track."

"So tell me!" Rapunzel said, clapping quickly and quietly.

Elsa looked at her cousin with wariness in her eyes, standing perfectly still and seemingly not breathing. Anna looked over and saw Rapunzel's breath frost in front of her face. Snowflakes began to fall in the room, prompting Anna to turn to her sister and take her right hand. "Hey," she said to Elsa, turning her sister's pale face toward her. "I'm here," she said tenderly. "I'm always going to be here. There's nothing to be afraid of, I promise."

Elsa turned to look at Rapunzel again; the blonde was starting to shiver slightly as she realized something was wrong.

"Elsa," Anna said, more firmly this time. "I was just teasing you, and I'm sorry if it made you more nervous. Rapunzel has already said she's happy for you." She turned to look at Rapunzel, saying, "Aren't you?"

Rapunzel nodded, wrapping her arms around her chest in an attempt to ward off the sudden cold. "Absolutely. Elsa, as long as you're happy and treated well, it doesn't matter whom this person is. I promise you."

Elsa closed her eyes in relief, taking a deep breath and slowly letting it out. As she did so, the snow blew into nothingness as the room returned to normal temperature. She looked down at her right hand, held firmly in both of Anna's, then looked up into Anna's face, seeing bright green eyes full of concern... and love. "Thank you," she told her sister with a smile.

"Anytime," Anna replied with her own smile. She reached up and ran her fingers through Elsa's hair. "Go ahead and just tell her, Elsa."

Knowing her sister supported her strengthened Elsa like nothing else. She turned to Rapunzel, took a deep breath and said, "I'm in love with Anna. And she's in love with me."

The lack of reaction caught Elsa and Anna both off guard. Rapunzel blinked at them before saying, "I'm not following you here."

"For Asgard's sake," Anna said, rolling her eyes as she pulled Elsa close and kissed her deeply. Elsa's first thought was to protest, to tell her sister how impertinent she was, but the feel of Anna's arms around her and her lips against hers, gently opening Elsa's mouth to deepen the kiss even more, now grabbing Elsa's rear through her dres—

Elsa's eyebrows shot up. "You just grabbed my butt!" she gasped. "In front of 'Zel!"

"Shut up and kiss some more," Anna breathed out as she pulled Elsa back in for another kiss. "Goddesses, I've missed you since I got out of bed this morning."

Rapunzel prided herself on her imagination and her patience. She was bright, if still learning the ways of the world after her long imprisonment. She and her husband Flynn had long since christened their marriage bed. However, no book she had read, no story she had heard could have prepared her to see her cousins Elsa and Anna, whom she last saw as small children fighting over toy horses, kissing each other with a passion that would have made a stablemaster blush.

A soft thump caught both Anna's and Elsa's attention, and they broke their kissing as they turned to see Rapunzel sitting on the floor, mouth agape. "So... you two..." she babbled. "But, wh... How..." She blinked her eyes a few times, looking even more confused as the sight of Anna and Elsa embracing as lovers refused to go away. "Why?" she finally managed to say.

Elsa knelt down first to help Rapunzel up, Anna right behind her. The other princess's legs were still unsteady, but together they got Rapunzel over to the king-sized bed and helped her sit far enough into the bed that she wouldn't hit the floor if she passed out. Satisfied that their cousin was in no immediate danger, Elsa turned to look at Rapunzel again. As she did so, she idly sought out Anna's hand, interlacing their fingers and drawing a warm smile from Anna. "Oh, 'Zel," Elsa said, "I wish I could tell you exactly why, too. But I can't. It's love. It does what it wants. And we're not fighting it any more."

Rapunzel was still pale, but she no longer looked like she was going to faint. "I had heard that your parents separated you when you were both small," she said weakly. "But you were both really young, too young to be doing..."

Elsa shook her head. "No, it wasn't for that. We were separated because I accidentally hurt Anna with my powers. I hurt her badly." A reassuring squeeze on her hand stilled Elsa's still-aching heart as she thought yet again of that day.

"I'm okay now, Elsa," Anna said softly. "I'm better than okay, because I'm with you. So please stop beating yourself up over that day. It was an accident, and it's in the past. We let those go, remember?"

Elsa leaned over Rapunzel's legs, stretched out on the bed between where she and Anna were sitting, and gave Anna a quick kiss. "I don't deserve you," Elsa said.

"Yes you do," Anna shot back, holding Elsa's gaze defiantly. "You deserve _everything_ I give you, because you are kind, loving, protective, honest, understanding, just, responsible... and more beautiful than anything I've ever seen in my life."

"Juno's tits," Rapunzel swore softly, her eyes growing wide with surprise again. "You two really _are_ in love."

"Yes," Elsa said with a smile, closing her eyes and bowing her head. "We really are. That was how Anna survived me accidentally freezing her heart."

"That was an accident, too," Anna said quickly, not wanting her sister to blame herself any more. "And it was our love that brought me back to life."

"You really _did_ die?" Rapunzel asked, somehow even more shocked than she was just moments earlier. "I mean, I had heard the stories, but I just assumed that you had been frozen, trapped in ice or something, and Elsa freed you!"

"No," Anna said. "I died." She took a deep breath, then said, "As I got in front of Hans's sword to save Elsa, everything went black. I was numb, confused and _so_ cold, colder than I had ever been, and then I felt myself being... pulled, I guess, is the best word I can think of, but instead of being pulled by my arm or my leg, I was being pulled by something deep inside me, like it was dug into my soul. And then I felt something pulling back, pulling me back in the other direction. I tried to turn and see what it was, who it was, but I couldn't see anything." Anna looked down to watch her tears drip onto the bed, but they were of little concern. "And then I heard Elsa crying," she said, looking up at Elsa to see matching tears on her face. "And... And I knew I couldn't leave her. I couldn't let her be so sad, because she had been alone for so long, and she didn't—she _doesn't_ deserve that. She'd been through so much already, she doesn't need to suffer any more. Not ever." Anna wiped the tears from her face with her free hand. "So I knew I had to go back, because Elsa needed me as much as I needed her, she loved me as much as I loved her, and it was time for us to be together. And all at once, that first... whatever it was, the force that was tugging on me snapped, and I fell backward, back where I had been. Then I woke up in Elsa's arms."

Rapunzel turned to look at Elsa again, awe on her face. "You... brought her back from the dead?"

"We were both willing to sacrifice ourselves to save the other," Elsa said quietly. "We've talked about this a few times since then," she said, glancing at Anna to see a matching look returned, "and Anna and I both think that it wasn't a single act that broke the curse. If it had just been my love for her, yielding and offering myself up for execution to save the kingdom and her, then Anna never should have frozen at all. If it had just been her love for me, leading her to save me from Hans's sword, again, she shouldn't have frozen—"

"Which would have left me dead, thanks for playing."

"—Or she should have returned to normal after Hans's sword shattered and I was out of immediate danger. But neither of those happened. It was only when I put my arms around her and felt my own heart break because of how much I loved her and how empty my life would be without her, that I somehow felt something other than despair. I felt... Anna. It was a tiny spot of warmth in all that ice I was desperately holding onto, but it was real. And I knew then that I loved Anna more than anything. More than our parents, more than our kingdom, more than getting married, more than having children... _anything_."

"And that's what I began to feel while I was falling backwards, right before I woke up," Anna added. "I could feel Elsa's love for me, and it was like coming up from deep beneath the ocean and breaking the surface to suck in the most amazing breath ever. I knew that I loved her and that I always would, because she cared as much for me as I cared for her. And then... I woke up in her arms, and I knew that I could never let her be alone again."

Rapunzel looked back and forth between Elsa and Anna before finally saying, "And I thought Flynn and I had a crazy story."

"Well, you do, from what you've told me," Elsa said cheerily. "So something else we all have in common."

Rapunzel let herself fall back onto the bed, lying flat as she considered what she had just heard. Anna and Elsa exchanged concerned looks as they waited for their cousin to say something. It was nerve-wracking, exposing secrets and baring souls, and both Elsa and Anna felt their hearts race. Snow began to fall in the room again, and the cool touch of the snowflakes on her face brought Rapunzel out of her thoughts.

"Elsa," she said as she sat up, looking at her older cousin. "Anna," she said next, turning to look at her younger cousin. "You two are among the kindest people I know. And you've been through some really horrible stuff in your lives. Not just a little bit, but a _lot_. And you've made it through all of that and still manage to be good, to smile and find something joyous in life despite the... shitty things it's thrown at you." She blushed at using such a vulgar word but continued.

"Most people in life never find their true love. In fact, many people don't ever find any love. They marry for security, or as part of a bargain, or because they're forced into it. But what the two of you have..." She shook her head. "I don't know if I can put it into words, or if there's a name for it that accurately describes it other than true love. But I can see that it's real, it's beautiful, and I'm happy for you both."

She was not prepared for being tackled by her two cousins, each of them hugging her tightly enough to make it hard to breathe. Finally they relinquished their hold on her, letting the princess of Corona take in a few breaths.

"Thank you, Rapunzel," Elsa said. "For not condemning us or hating us."

"How could I hate you for recognizing your true love?" Rapunzel asked seriously. "I mean, we all know that it takes true love to break the most powerful magic curses, and that's exactly what you two did. Nothing less than true love could have accomplished that." She looked at her cousins as Anna crawled across the bed to curl her body against her sister's, a huge smile on her face as their bodies settled next to each other. "You two are so cute. Oh! What are you going to do about heirs?"

Anna and Elsa looked at each other. "We're not worrying about that just yet," Elsa said slowly. "We first have to tell the citizens of Arendelle, and before that we have to go through with this masquerade of the next few days, so we can get a better idea of which countries we can trust and which will stab us in the back if they get the chance."

Rapunzel nodded. "Good idea," she said thoughtfully. "Well, you can count on Corona. We'll support you no matter what. And I'm pretty sure Ruthenia and the Caspians will stand by you. They know your family well enough to know the two you will be excellent rulers and that you're both trustworthy."

"Weselton is a concern," Elsa said, grabbing some pillows and forming a support for her back. Once it was ready, she scooted back and patted the bed in front of her. Anna crawled over, turned around and settled herself between Elsa's legs as she leaned back into Elsa's embrace. "Much better," Elsa said happily, getting what would be best described as a coo from a contented Anna. "The Duke had sent two assassins to try and kill me as soon as he found out about my powers."

Rapunzel considered that morsel of information before replying. "Well, he's definitely a little jerk. But he's a predictable little jerk."

Elsa nodded. "Exactly what I was thinking."

"And Pomeria will be all friendly and kisses and hugs, but they'll be looking for a way to get something for nothing from you. Don't believe anything they promise you unless it's sitting right in front of you."

"How about the Iberians? I haven't had much contact with them yet. They seem a bit strange with some of their customs."

Rapunzel raised an eyebrow. "Really? You're planning on marrying your sister, and you're calling them strange?" A pillow in the face forestalled any other comment Rapunzel might have been considering.

Seizing the momentary break in the conversation, Anna rolled over just enough to look into Elsa's face. "I killed an elk today," she said, a grin on her face.

Elsa blinked before replying, "I'm sorry, what?"

"I said, I killed an elk today. While I was out hunting with Sir Kjell. Hit it with the first arrow. He said it was a great shot."

Elsa's eyes narrowed slightly as she looked at her sister. "And what exactly has prompted this sudden interest in hunting?" she asked, injecting a definite big sister tone into her question. "You've been going with him almost every morning this week. You never seemed like you cared much for things like that."

Anna quickly began inspecting her fingernails, trimmed shorter than typical for a princess and a bit dirty at the moment.

"Anna..." Elsa said, gently turning her sisters face toward her, but when Anna looked up at her, she was entirely unprepared for the expression on her sister's face.

Fear. And determination.

Elsa was taken aback at her sister's demeanor. "Anna, what is it? Why are you wanting to do this?"

"I want to help do things for Arendelle. You're the queen, I'm just the princess. My opinion doesn't matter to the royal council. They just think of me this kid who loves to get into trouble, and this is something I can learn to do. To help provide food and furs for our people."

"Oh, Anna," Elsa said tenderly. "The royal council be damned. Your opinion matters to _me_. From now on, you're part of the council, as the Crown Princess and next in line to the throne... and as someone whom I have learned to never, ever underestimate."

Anna smiled as she hugged Elsa. "Thank you," she said as she breathed in the scent that was Elsa, the scent that now meant home to her. "Okay, I need to go get ready for this ball." She grimaced as she slid off the bed, stopping to give Rapunzel a hug, interrupting their cousin's attempts to fix her hair. "Can't exactly say I'm looking forward to it, but I know it's something we need to do."

As she regarded the look Elsa was giving her, Anna stopped before she started walking to her chambers. "What?" she asked.

Elsa's face was still loving, but it was also surprisingly serious. "You're not telling me the whole story, Anna."

"About what?"

"About why you're learning how to hunt. If we're going to be... wives, I guess you'd call it, if we're going to be partners, then you have to be honest with me. Even if it's something you think I'm not going to like."

"I think I probably ought to start getting ready for the reception," Rapunzel said, smoothing her dress as she stood. She gave Elsa an understanding look as she hugged Anna, then she hugged Elsa.

"Thank you, 'Zel," Elsa said. "Both for still being a friend and for supporting us."

Rapunzel's smile was genuine as she said, "Always. Both for me personally and for Corona." She walked to the main door of Elsa's chambers, stopping to look over her shoulder as she opened one of the large double doors. "And it's really cool to meet two people whose childhoods were as screwed up as mine." she said with a sly smile before stepping out, closing the door behind her.

Elsa, still smiling, turned to regard her younger sister again. "Spill it, Anna," she said, half-teasingly and half-seriously. "What's going on?"

Anna took a deep breath, holding it for several seconds before letting it out slowly. She turned to look at Elsa. "Elsa, I don't have to tell you that I'm not a big fan of this plan to act like we're interested in these men down there so we can try to get information out of them."

Elsa nodded. "I know. And I'm very proud of you that you've realized it's something we need to do for right now."

"And even though you haven't said it out loud, I know that part of the information you're trying to gather is exactly how all these different kingdoms and royal families are going to react to the news of our engagement to each other."

Elsa blinked twice. Anna was apparently picking up the political game quicker than she had expected. "Go on," she said quietly.

"You're trying to determine who's going to be supportive of us, who's going to be disappointed or upset but will get over it, who's going to be offended or mad enough to give us the cold shoulder for a while, and who's going to furious enough to go to war with Arendelle because they think we're depraved or committing some sin against their religion. And you want to know all this before we tell the people of Arendelle, because word is going to travel fast."

"For news like what we're going to give them, absolutely," Elsa said with a proud smile. "Very good, Anna."

"I've been thinking about this," Anna said slowly, "but I've also been thinking about something else. The last ball we threw at your coronation two weeks ago brought us Hans."

"This one will be different, Anna."

"Yes. I know it will. You've learned to control your powers because you're running on love now, not fear. I've learned how not to be stupid—hopefully—and that there are plenty of friendly people out there who only want to take advantage of us. And most importantly, neither of us is going to be interested in anyone downstairs. We both have our true love right here," she said as she took Elsa's hands into her own, "and nothing any of them can offer could ever touch that."

Elsa lifted their joined hands to her lips, pressing kisses both warm and cool on Anna's hands. "And even though you're exactly right with all of this, for which I am _very_ proud of you, you're still evading the question."

In the moments before Anna answered, Elsa saw the love in her sister's green eyes darken, as a different emotion made its presence known. "I'm learning how to hunt because if the next Hans _is_ down there in that ballroom, then I'm going to put an arrow through his heart before he can ever raise a sword against you."

**Author's Afterword:** While I know how this story is going to play out for the most part, it always fascinates me how characters tend to grow and develop themselves in ways I didn't expect. Case in point, our Anna. We'll get more in depth with her thought process and just how she's developing as both a leader and a (very) protective lover as the story progresses, just as we'll do with Elsa. Since this story is now starting to look like a longer one, maybe 12-15 chapters by my current estimate, I'm not going to rush things just for the sake of speed. I'd rather do it right for these characters and for all of you reading this. Thanks for putting up with me getting back into the swing of things, and I'll try to have the next chapter up by next week!


	4. Chapter 4: Magic

**Author's Note:** Whew. Sorry this is a bit later than I had planned, but I'm into the last third of working nineteen days straight. Not much time for writing, sadly. I can thank this latest winter storm for giving me a bit of extra time to finish this chapter, though; how funny is that? So, a funny thing about our intro music for this chapter. I originally had the music planned out for the entire story, but that was when it was five chapters. I then decided to use a different song so I could save my first choice for a later chapter where it will be PERFECT. Then I changed my mind again to go with an ice and fire theme for all the songs, because I like weird little touches like that which I never really call attention to. I just enjoy them and hope other people spot them and enjoy my weirdness too. And now while I'm writing the last few pages of this chapter, my Winamp throws up a song from the heart of the 1980s... and it's so, so right for this chapter. If you want to listen to it the modern way, I'm sure it's on the web somewhere. If you want to listen to it the old way, find your "Ghostbusters" Soundtrack cassette tape!

Cover Art for the story is by the incredibly talented Trixdraws from DeviantArt. Thank you again, Trix!

_Here are my standard disclaimers_: I make no claims on any of Disney's trademarks or copyrights, and no infringement is intended on them or those of any other artist or publication mentioned. Be forewarned that this story most certainly will contain femslash. If love and affection between two consenting young adults of the same sex bothers you, I suggest you turn right around and find something else to read. Keep any flames to yourself and remember that what our world needs now is more love and acceptance, not more hate. Reviews are always welcomed and appreciated! Some of the themes (well, one theme in particular, really) might make readers uncomfortable. I understand that. If you really don't like it, please stop reading and walk away from this story. I promise I won't be offended.

**Feel, Don't Conceal**

by Jo K.

Chapter 4: Magic

_I'm here for you, that's what you said_

_I've never felt like this with a woman, any woman_

_Strangers meet, strangers dream_

_Some call it love, I call it magic_

_Now I'm in you and it feels so right_

_So hold on, hold on tight_

_Yes it's true_

_I believe, believe in you_

_I believe it's magic_

-Mick Smiley, "(I Believe It's) Magic"

The buzz of conversation and bustle of activity throughout Arendelle Castle was quite reminiscent of a giant termite mound, if anyone present had been so inclined to consider the comparison. Nobles and royalty from over twenty countries milled through the castle and its courtyard, each attended by a retinue of servants and assistants. It was a mass of colors clashing and complementary, a buzz of languages dancing through the air, enough to give observers headaches... or to give a particular princess a giddy sort of joy.

"Princess Anna!"

Anna ignored the voice calling her name. It wasn't Elsa, so it couldn't have been too important. She continued to peer between the velvet drapes covering her room's window with the best view of the courtyard, taking in the bustle and flow of the hundreds of people making their way through the castle gates. She probably would have been there all night, or at least until Elsa personally came and retrieved her, had it not been for the audacity of a sixteen-year-old handmaiden.

The cracking tip of a rolled-up towel sent a firm sting into Anna's rear, making the young woman shriek and nearly fall off of the chair she was standing on. She spun around in time to see her handmaiden Idunn standing perfectly still, the picture of innocence save for the white towel fluttering to the ground several feet away from her. "Idunn!" Anna shouted, rubbing her stinging bottom while she tried to decide whether to be angry or laugh.

"Yes, your highness?" replied Idunn, her face remaining perfectly calm, if a bit red.

"You just smacked my butt with a towel!"

Idunn swallowed, gathering her courage. "Y-y-yes, I did!" she said firmly. "Your highness, you have been ignoring me for half an hour, and I'm supposed to help you get into your gown for the ball!" Bracing herself for an angry reply, she waited for several seconds with no response from Anna. Idunn risked a peek at Anna, grimacing internally at the angry young woman facing her. The princess was rather mad, judging from the way the veins in her neck were visibly pulsing as she jumped down from the chair, so Idunn abandoned all subtlety and went for her strongest weapon. "I have orders from Queen Elsa herself to see that you arrive properly dressed and on time!"

At the mention of her sister's name, Anna's face relaxed, her scowl softening into a neutral expression. "Really," she said, her voice calm with the barest hint of disbelief.

Idunn nodded vigorously. "Y-yes, your highness. Queen Elsa sent me a note just an hour ago." She reached into one of her dress's pockets and produced a folded-up piece of paper.

Anna crossed the distance between them with three quick strides, snatching the paper from Idunn's hand and making the handmaiden jump slightly. She unfolded the paper and read it quickly, recognizing Elsa's elegant script instantly.

_Idunn- Please make sure that my sister is dressed and downstairs BEFORE the ball starts. If she tries to stall you or ignore you, you have my permission to get her attention. -HM Elsa, Queen of Arendelle_

And below it, in smaller letters but with the same prim handwriting:

_And still YOUR big sister, Anna! Get dressed! -E_

Anna looked up at Idunn, whose terrified face was now turning a worrisome shade of mauve. "Breathe, Idunn," Anna said, relaxing when the younger girl visibly complied. "Sorry," Anna said hesitantly. "You were just doing your job, weren't you?"

Idunn nodded again. "I'm sorry, your highness, but I— I was running out of ways to get your attention."

"Well, that was creative, at least," Anna muttered, giving her butt one last rub. "Hopefully you didn't leave a mark," Anna said as she started walking across the large room.

Idunn had bent over to retrieve the offending towel when she heard Anna's words. _Oh gods_, she thought desperately. _What if I DID leave a mark?_ _How will I explain that? Odin's one eye, how will I explain that to the QUEEN?_

She grabbed the towel and ran across the room, catching Anna right as the young princess was reaching for her dark green gown. Anna yelped slightly as Idunn slid to her knees while she simultaneously yanked up the back of Anna's long skirt.

"Idunn, what in Freya's name are you _doing?" _Anna shouted, trying to twist her upper body enough to see what the handmaiden was up to.

"Just checking to make sure I didn't leave a mark!" Idunn shouted back, her voice muffled slightly by Anna's skirt covering her head. "I am _so_ sorry, Your Highness!"

As Anna felt her undergarments drop, she nearly came off the ground. "IDUNN!"

There was a fleeting pause, less than a second, before the young handmaiden's head full of long blonde hair popped out from beneath Anna's skirt. "Your Highness, I have helped you with your bath since you were ten years old and I was eight! I _have_ seen your bare ass more than once!" The blonde head then disappeared beneath the skirt again, leaving Anna dumbstruck.

After a few more seconds of silence, an audible sigh of relief could be heard, then Anna felt her underpants slide back up her thighs. She reached back and adjusted them properly, turning around warily just as Idunn got to her feet. Anna fixed the handmaiden to the spot with a stern gaze as she tried to decide what to say.

"No mark, your highness," Idunn said with visible relief. "Well, other than the slight redness, but that'll fade within an hour or so."

Anna regarded Idunn with slightly more curiosity. "And you know this how?" she asked calmly.

Idunn's fair complexion reddened notably. "Well, mm... You're not the first one I've snapped with... a towel."

Anna considered her words before she let a smile slip across her face. "Well, I suppose I should be happy you were skilled enough to not leave a mark. Although with all the bruises and scrapes I got growing up, I really wouldn't have cared that much."

More at ease due to Anna's now-friendly expression, Idunn quickly said, "Oh, it wasn't you I was concerned about noticing it, Your—"

She froze, knowing instantly she had said too much, a fact confirmed by Princess Anna's face turning a bright crimson, intense enough to make the freckles on her face nearly disappear. Anna ran past Idunn to the doors to her rooms, glancing out in the hall nervously. Seeing no guards within the immediate distance, she pulled herself back into the room before slamming the wooden doors with a significant crash.

Idunn stood terrified as Anna stormed her way back across the room, a look somewhere between shock and fury flashing across her normally happy visage. Despite all her training, despite the eight, nearly nine years the girl had waited on Anna, Idunn broke down into tears at how utterly she had just failed the young woman she adored.

At the sight of Idunn's tears, Anna was taken aback; when the handmaiden fell to the floor, her body convulsing in sobs, Anna was there with her, holding her to keep the girl from cracking her head on the cold, hard slate. "Hey," Anna said, trying to calm Idunn down, but with no effect. "Hey, Idunn. Please stop crying. Please." Seeing that her words weren't registering, Anna shifted to simply hold the teenager, trying to console her from whatever had devastated her. As the two of them sat there, Anna's own thoughts were whirling, trying to grasp exactly what Idunn's words had seemed to imply. Was she being paranoid? Had the girl simply meant something entirely different than what Anna was thinking? But if so, why was she so upset to have let her words slip out?

Anna considered what she knew about Idunn. She had been an orphan, like all the handmaidens in Arendelle had been for centuries. Idunn had no family left, losing her parents, brother and sister to a fever that had ravaged their small farming village. The girl had been the closest thing to a friend Anna had known after Elsa had been sealed away in her own chambers, with their closeness in age helping build a bond between the two as the years passed. She trusted Idunn implicitly, a trust earned by the quiet blonde through her discretion, service and honesty. She kept mostly to herself, although she seemed friendly with a few of the other handmaidens. Otherwise, she did a remarkable job of remaining unobtrusive while still carrying out her duties efficiently and respectfully, which is why her slip of the tongue was so shocking.

Anna realized at this point that Idunn's sobbing had slowed. "Idunn..." she said carefully, prompting the slightly younger girl to sit up. Her face was splotchy red, her eyes bloodshot from crying, and she angrily pawed at the tears running down her cheeks.

"I'm sorry, your highness," Idunn said, her lower lip visibly shaking as she struggled to maintain control. "I would never tell anyone, I swear to you. I would die first. I would kill _myself_ first."

Anna closed her eyes. _She knows._ She took a few deep breaths to calm herself, reaching out to take Idunn's hand and hold it gently. She opened her eyes as she said, "How long have you known?"

"A... A little over a week," Idunn replied. "I never meant to..." She shook her head. "I wasn't trying to spy on you, Your Highness. I had told Ygrit that I'd clean the queen's room for her that night, and I was running late after cleaning your room as well. I was finishing up in Her Majesty's bathroom when you and the queen came in. I didn't expect you to go to bed so early, and before I could make my presence known, you and the queen were already... engaged."

"Interesting choice of words," Anna muttered. She felt Idunn squeeze her hand; she looked up to see the younger girl leaning toward her, her fair face full of concern.

"Your Highness," Idunn said, "I... I'm happy for you."

Anna blinked. "You are?"

Idunn nodded. "I am. Unusual as your circumstances may be, the queen loves you just as much as you love her. I know it. And you both deserve to be happy." Idunn looked down at Anna's left hand. "I also know that neither of you has any plans on finding a husband tonight." She gently rubbed her thumb over Anna's unadorned ring finger. "Though your finger is bare, I know you're already pledged in your heart."

Anna felt a tear slide down her cheek as she looked into Idunn's red eyes, which were starting to water again. "You're right," she whispered. "How did you know... that?"

Idunn smiled again. "Because I've seen the way you look at her, and she at you. I-I'm very familiar with... that look."

It took a moment for Anna to consider Idunn's words. "You're..."

"In love with someone I shouldn't be? Someone for whom others would not understand my love? Yes." Seeing a look of concern flash across Anna's face, Idunn quickly added, "It's not you or the queen, Your Highness. I would never presume to even consider that!"

"Okay," Anna said with a smile as she looked into Idunn's gray eyes, an unusual color in Arendelle. "Because she's mine, you know."

Idunn nodded with a small laugh. "And you are hers. I know very well, Your Highness. Years ago I pledged to serve you and care for you, and I consider protecting your relationship with the queen to be part of my duty. I have never seen you as happy as you have been the last two weeks, and I will do everything in my power—limited as it may be—to safeguard that happiness."

"Thank you," Anna said softly. "For everything you have done and continue to do for me, Idunn." She leaned forward and hugged the handmaiden, who hesitantly returned the hug after a few seconds.

"You're welcome, Your Highness," Idunn said.

Barely an hour later, after possibly the fastest job of changing clothes, lacing a formal gown and doing a princess's hair ever seen in Arendelle Castle, Anna carefully made her way down the grand staircase, Idunn trailing behind her. Anna's gown was a deep green, not as form-fitting as Elsa's gowns tended to be now, but still slightly narrower and just a bit shorter than traditional ball gowns. Her copper hair, done up in a crown braid, seemed to glow as the late afternoon sun streamed in through the windows, and the diamond and emerald necklace she wore completed her elegant look perfectly.

"You look amazing, Your Highness," Idunn said as she brushed the back of Anna's skirt, making sure that her princess's appearance was flawless as they reached the door to the parlor adjacent to the grand ballroom. Idunn stepped forward and opened the wooden door.

As Anna stepped into the parlor, she couldn't help but gasp as she saw Elsa. The queen was wearing the same spun ice gown Anna had seen earlier that day, hugging to her upper body, waist and hips before tapering down to her feet, but she had changed its color from turquoise to an aqua. The dress's slit up Elsa's right leg only went to her knee, but it still pushed the limits of decorum when it came to formal wear. The extra tint of green in the gown was striking as each facet of the dress caught and reflected the light, and when her sister smiled at her, Anna felt her heart skip several beats. "Elsa, you look..." She swallowed, then she began fanning herself. "Wow. Um, you're stunning."

Elsa stepped closer to Anna, enough for Anna and Idunn to see Elsa's handmaiden Ygrit behind her, busily untangling a sapphire and diamond necklace. "Not as stunning as you," Elsa said softly, just barely stopping herself from running her hand over Anna's freckled cheek. Anna blushed slightly at the doting look Elsa was giving her; it was just as hard for her to resist giving Elsa a warm kiss, both to visibly show her love as well as to provide moral support before they entered the ballroom. She had no doubt that had Ygrit not been there, the queen and princess of Arendelle would have lingered much longer in the parlor. But as the two sisters held hands and looked into each other's eyes, Ygrit quickly said, "I've got it, Your Majesty!" and smoothly slid the stunning necklace across Elsa's delicate collarbones, fastening the most elegant piece of Arendelle's crown jewels in place around its queen's slim throat.

Anna reached up and ran her fingers lightly over the masterpiece, laid out as interconnected sapphires and diamonds of various sizes, arranged as a snowfall of precious stones fully encircling Elsa's throat. "Funny how our necklaces resemble each other," she said, fingering an emerald on her own necklace as she examined Elsa's.

"Nothing funny about it," Elsa said, her voice growing tight as she leaned in toward her true love. "Your was made as the companion to mine."

Anna couldn't help but flash a girlish smile as she looked up at her sister and softly said, "Just like me."

Elsa leaned forward, lightly pressing her forehead and her nose against Anna's, her lips as close to her sister's as they could be without touching. She could feel Anna's warm breath, soft, short pants, against her mouth, just as Anna could feel her big sister's cool, controlled breaths against her own.

"You know Ygrit is still here, right?" Anna breathed, letting Elsa feel the whispered words as much as hear them.

"She already knows," Elsa whispered back, unable to resist lifting her bare right hand to run her fingers through Anna's soft red hair.

At the touch of her sister's fingertips against her temple, Anna shuddered throughout her entire body. Only through extreme effort did she regain enough composure to whisper back, "So does Idunn," before her own arms were around Elsa's shoulders.

"Thank Freya," Elsa mumbled as she pressed forward a fraction of an inch, letting their equally eager lips reacquaint themselves with each other.

Idunn and Ygrit quietly moved to stand together, blocking the door to the ballroom as they turned away from Elsa and Anna, granting their royal charges a modicum of privacy. They did their best to not look at each other or make the slightest sound until they heard Anna and Elsa turn and walk toward them. The two handmaidens smoothly turned, each quickly inspecting her particular woman. Idunn straightened Anna's necklace, deftly smoothing the silver links between the emeralds and diamonds back into their proper place, while Ygrit's quick fingers restored the few blonde hairs Anna's fingers had teased out of position on Elsa's head. When both were satisfied, Idunn unlocked the parlor doors leading into the ballroom. She and Ygrit each took a door, opening them in synchronicity while stepping out of the way.

As a page announced the entrances of Princess Anna and Queen Elsa, cheers and trumpets greeted the two remaining members of Arendelle's royal family. As all eyes in the ballroom followed the two stunning sisters during their entrance, no one noticed the two quiet handmaidens as they stepped back into the recesses of the small parlor, only daring to lace their fingers together and trade tender smiles once they were completely out of sight.

Anna quickly lost count of the different men she had danced with as the ball progressed. Thankfully, Elsa had previously declared the dancing would be formal, with the partners not allowed to actually touch. This significantly reduced the discomfort Anna had been worried about, although leers and come-hither looks still appeared too frequently for her liking. However, with so many people dancing at the same time, whenever a too-eager suitor made her uncomfortable, she simply moved to another partner. She occasionally caught a glimpse of Elsa moving in her shimmering aqua gown, but she never allowed herself to focus too much on her sister for fear of showing their guests just whom the princess truly had eyes for.

The third time Anna fell into a nearby seat, sweating but laughing from exertion, she could see the not-so-subtle jostling between a dozen young men, each trying to see who could be the first one to claim the cushion next to her on the elegant high-backed bench. However, the four in the lead all suddenly pulled up short just a few feet away, nearly falling on each other in their haste to stop.

Anna turned to look beside her, only to see Elsa standing in front of the vacant space on the bench, casting a withering look at the stumbling suitors before elegantly seating herself next to her sister.

"Nice trick," Anna said, giving her sister a weary but happy glance. "How'd you do it? I tried ignoring them, but it only seems to make them hungrier."

Elsa returned her sister's smile as she turned to look at Anna. "Yes, it seems the men think you're playing hard to get."

"Which I am."

"Which is turning them on."

Anna shuddered. "Ew."

Elsa leaned closer, although with the noise from the music and the dancers there was no chance of her being overheard. "It's turning me on too," she whispered.

Anna flushed slightly. She retrieved a fan from the accent table beside her, snapping it open with a quick flick of her wrist. She began to fan herself aggressively until she felt cool, long fingers gently grasp her forearm. She stopped and looked at Elsa, who began to trace a lazy line through the air with her right index finger. As her finger moved, a small swirl of ice formed, following the slim digit's movement as it spiraled its way around Anna's neck and head, bringing a refreshing chill to her warm skin.

She closed her fan as she closed her eyes, reveling in the cool breeze circling her head. "That feels really good," she said. "Thanks."

Elsa smiled as she stilled her hand, letting the icy draft make a final circuit around Anna's head before vanishing into vapor. "You're very welcome." She looked around, seeing several tables on the other side of the ballroom being attended by the castle staff. "Dinner's going to start soon."

"Well, good," Anna said. "Definitely worked up an appetite." She turned to look back at her sister. "You're playing hard to get too, aren't you?"

Elsa gave her a slight nod.

"Soooo... why are they all over me for it and not you?"

Elsa turned to look at the crowds, now making their way over to the dinner tables in droves. "I think 'accidentally' freezing the Duke of Kaltenstein's hand when he dared to touch my arm had something to do with that." Elsa stood, then turned, extending her hand to Anna. Anna graciously took her sister's gloveless hand, accepting the slight boost up as she stood. "Shall we move to dinner?" Elsa asked pleasantly.

Anna smiled. "We shall."

However, as they approached the largest table, an impressive rectangular mass crafted with wood stained so dark as to be nearly black, their enthusiasm waned slightly. The only seats remaining were at the far ends of the table, separated by at least forty other guests, all prospective suitors.

Anna looked sad at the seating arrangements, but a serious glance from Elsa told her what she needed to do. She forced a smile on her face, but Elsa could see the unhappiness in her sister's green eyes as she turned and walked the length of the table, drawing quite a few interested looks as she did so. Elsa wasn't particularly happy about the way some of the men looked at her little sister like a trophy stag to be hunted, but she really couldn't blame them. If they weren't here, after all, she'd have been watching Anna that way as well. She sighed as she sat, letting one of the servants move her chair forward for her.

As they ate, Elsa found herself not paying much attention to the conversation going on around her. It was far more interesting watching Anna fend off the advances of the small crowd of eligible princes, barons and dukes seated nearest to her. Silently Elsa wished she had adjusted the seating arrangements to place Rapunzel next to her or Anna, but that would have been improper for a spouse-hunting dinner such as this. Having a friendly party to deflect some of the conversation would have been lovely, though.

The sight of one the men on Anna's end of the table spitting his wine out onto the table immediately drew Elsa's attention. Was he sick? Had he been poisoned? However, before Elsa could decide on a course of action, the sound of laughter making its way down the table implied that whatever had happened had been more benign, and seeing Anna grin gave Elsa even more reassurance.

"The Princess is quite surprising," said the young man seated on Elsa's left. He was a prince, explaining his coveted position next to the Queen of Arendelle. She thought quickly, trying to remember his name. "Did she truly slay an elk this morning with a bow and arrow?"

"Thank you, Prince Soren," Elsa said graciously. "Yes, she did." She risked a glance down the table, unable to keep from smiling at the sight of Anna laughing. "My sister is a very remarkable young woman. And the most beautiful woman in all of Arendelle."

"Not that I would disagree with the monarch, Your Majesty, but I do believe the Princess might have some competition for that title," Soren said with a voice betraying only a slight hint of nervousness.

Elsa gave the young prince a long look. He was polite, he was charming and he was very handsome, with his light brown hair and honest smile. Elsa might have been interested in him in the past on his looks alone, but she also respected his family. The Baltains had long been trading partners with Arendelle, with the two countries on good terms for centuries. She gave Soren a polite smile as she replied, "Do you have eyes for my sister, Prince Soren?"

The young prince—he couldn't have been much older than Anna, maybe a year at the most—blushed slightly. He cleared his throat quietly before taking a drink of wine.

_He's smart enough to not speak before he's taken the time to think. He might have made a good husband for Anna or me, indeed._ And this was what bothered Elsa. He would make a good match for either of them, but obviously his family had their eyes on him marrying Elsa; not a surprise, as a queen was a step up from a princess. Turning him down would upset the royal family of Balta, but not terribly so. However, turning him down in order to marry _Anna_, well, that might have a different outcome.

Elsa hoped not. She liked King Gustav and Queen Trysn, and Balta was a good ally, both economically and militarily. She looked down the length of the table, making mental notes of the potential repercussions that could come from offending each suitor seeking either her and Anna's hand. Many of them were minor, with little risk of seriously impacting Arendelle. However, some of them were significant, and more than one could pose a true threat to Arendelle on the battlefield.

However, Elsa had already come to the conclusion that she really didn't care.

She would do her best to be diplomatic, absolutely. She had already started on a few letters politely declining the offers of marriage from a few of tonight's attendees, although she had hidden them in her personal chambers where only she or Ygrit could find them. The young handmaiden had offered to help Elsa write some of them, but Elsa had politely declined. Each letter had to be in her handwriting, sealed with Arendelle's royal seal, or suspicions would be raised.

Elsa's further thoughts were interrupted as the doors to the ballroom slowly opened. A crier stepped in, ahead of a tall, broad-shouldered man who appeared several years older than Elsa.

"Prince Wilhelm, of the Southern Isles!"

Within seconds all conversation at the dining tables ceased, as everyone in attendance turned to regard the late arrival, whom Elsa most certainly did not invite. And judging from the confident smile on his face and the way he carefully walked into the massive room, he was quite content with all eyes on him. His elegant white uniform with gold piping and red accents was far too reminiscent of the traitorous Hans, and seeing how calmly he entered only made Elsa's blood boil even more.

"Queen Elsa," he said, stopping a more-than-respectable distance from Elsa's seat. He bowed slightly, offering a friendly smile as he rose back to a standing position.

It took all of Elsa's self-control to not throw her plate of food at him. She quickly ran through a list of things she could freeze that "Prince Wilhelm" would miss, followed by interesting places she could display his frozen body. However, as the seconds of silence ticked away, Elsa finally decided that she should wait until at least the third day of the royal gathering to cause an true international incident.

"Prince... Wilhelm, you said?" she said, remaining firmly seated. She was the queen and this was her realm; she would not rise to greet him. Anna, with her sweet nature and general trust of others, likely would have done so without thinking of how it would look. However, that seemingly minor gesture would have been sharply noted by the multitude of guests in the ballroom, nearly all of whom were well-versed in royal protocol. The last time a handsome prince from the Southern Isles had stood in this castle, Elsa had been terrified and unsure of her ability to rule. Tonight she was neither.

"Yes, Your Majesty," Wilhelm said, not bowing a second time. "I am here bearing the deepest apologies the Southern Isles can offer. My youngest brother's despicable actions at your coronation have brought extreme shame to all of the Southern Isles, and I am here to discuss reparations to rebuild friendly relations with Arendelle."

A soft murmur swept through the massive room, and Elsa could see heads nodding slightly throughout the room. She was still furious at this man's audacity to show up unannounced, and the last thing she wanted was for him to start to win some sympathy with the royals and nobles in attendance.

"I appreciate the Isles' wishes to rectify the animosity her last ambassador created during his brief stay here," she said with as thin a smile as her lips could make. She waited a few seconds before continuing. "However, I do not recall extending an invitation for this gathering to you or your country."

Wilhelm could see Elsa's gaze turn icy—quite literally. The marble floor between the two of them began to freeze as the air seemed to thicken and frost. Snow began to form in the air, sparkling flakes falling to the frosty tiles throughout the entire ballroom. As he felt the chill manifest in the air around him, Wilhelm reconsidered his opinion of the fledgling queen for the second time in as many minutes. _So her powers _do_ exist. Hans wasn't lying. No matter. All the more thrill of the contest._

He lowered his head obviously enough that it could be seen through the entire ballroom. "No, Your Majesty. I took it upon myself to extend this overture for peace between our nations, for the good of both our peoples."

Elsa opened her mouth to speak, only to stop when she heard a chair scooting far down the table. She turned to look at Anna, who had stood, eyes looking to Elsa with a silent plea in them. As Elsa felt her visage soften at the look of discomfort on her beloved's face, Anna began walking quickly toward Elsa, keeping the grand table and the guests seated at it between her and Wilhelm.

Elsa turned back to Wilhelm. "I will consider your request to discuss reparations between the Southern Isles and Arendelle," she said flatly. After a second's pause, she added, "However, I will not make that decision tonight." She gave a glance to her left, seeing Anna halfway to her at this point, and the look of discomfort on Anna's face added a touch of venom to Elsa's voice as she turned back to Wilhelm. "You may stay in Arendelle while I make my decision. I'm sure you will be _quite_ capable of finding suitable accommodations in the town."

Elsa looked to the guard captain on duty. The soldier had already moved within his halberd's striking range of Wilhelm, so smoothly that Elsa hadn't noticed his approach. "Sir Ewen," she said, shifting her gaze to the veteran soldier, "Please escort Prince Wilhelm and his retinue out of the castle. This reception is for invited guests only."

Despite the pleasant smile still on his face, Wilhelm was not the least bit happy. However, at the moment there was nothing he could do. Arendelle's queen was proving to be surprisingly formidable, not the unsure coward Hans had described. Whether that was due to her being a quick study or his brother being an incompetent fool was of no matter at the moment. But before he turned to walk out of the ballroom, Wilhelm saw a young redheaded woman who could only be Princess Anna reach Queen Elsa's side. He watched as the snow flurries through the ballroom slowed and then disappeared when Anna spoke to her sister; similarly, the ice patch covering the marble followed the snow into nothingness as Elsa gently placed her hand on Anna's shoulder. With a slight lift of his eyebrows, he turned at that sight and slowly walked toward the ballroom's main doors, four of Arendelle's royal guards pacing him as he made his exit.

Elsa stood, protectively putting her left arm around Anna. As she stood, the noise of hundreds of chairs sliding filled the ballroom as everyone stood. Elsa waited a few seconds to let the din subside, then she said, "I regret that my sister and I must take our leave for the evening. This... unexpected intrusion has upset Anna, and I must tend to her." Before anyone could object, she added, "Please feel free to finish your dinner and enjoy the rest of the reception, as the music and dancing will continue as planned. My sister and I have enjoyed your gracious company and will see you again tomorrow." Without waiting to acknowledge the applause that followed her words, Elsa turned and walked out of the ballroom with Anna.

Anna was worryingly quiet as the two of them ascended the grand staircase. They were holding hands, a risk Elsa was willing to take given how upset Anna had seemed at Wilhelm's appearance. Ygrit was bounding up the stairs ahead of them, her shoulder-length mahogany hair bobbing up and down as she ascended two steps at a time. Idunn was following Elsa and Anna, making sure no one attempted to pursue or question them.

As they reached the second floor, Ygrit ran down the large hall, opening the doors to Elsa's chambers and quickly inspecting the rooms before Elsa and Anna entered. As soon as they were inside, Idunn closed the doors behind them and hurried to Anna's rooms, where she performed the same sweep through her princess's chambers before grabbing one of the soft shifts Anna liked to sleep in and returning to Elsa's chambers.

She saw Ygrit retrieving a modest nightgown from Elsa's wardrobe; the queen would need no help removing her gown, as she could simply dissolve it with a thought. Anna, however, was going to need a bit of help. Ygrit had already removed the queen's necklace, placing it on the table beside her wardrobe, and it only took Idunn a few seconds to do the same. However, as soon as Idunn started on the intricate lacing of the princess's gown, Ygrit's small hands were right there, moving swiftly in time with Idunn's own movements. As they efficiently worked, they glanced at each other. The two of them had noticed a very significant change between the two rooms, but other than two quiet smiles they gave no indication of their observation. Anna would discover it herself soon enough, and Elsa was likely already aware.

As soon as Anna's gown was loose enough, Idunn handed Anna the shift and pulled the gown down smoothly. As Anna stepped out of the green dress, Idunn and Ygrit picked it up, bundling it loosely as they quietly walked away. The two handmaidens stopped at the double doors leading back to the second floor hallway, turning as Ygrit said, "Is there anything else we can do for you or the princess, Your Majesty?"

"No, Ygrit," Elsa said, finally allowing a hint of fatigue to creep into her voice. "Thank you and Idunn both. Sleep well."

"Yes, Your Majesty," Ygrit said as she and Idunn both curtseyed slightly, then turned and left the room. They signaled to the four guards coming down the hall that they should stay at the ends of the hall tonight, allowing the two sisters some privacy. As they watched the soldiers split into pairs and move to the ends of the hall, the two young women smiled at each other and quietly began their walk to the servants' quarters in the basement.

Inside the spacious bedroom, Elsa sat on the large bed as she waited for Anna to come out of the bathroom. Her nightgown was made of silk, a remarkable fabric they had obtained from distant China, but the way it fell against her skin tonight made it feel as if it were made of iron. She stood and walked to the window, looking at the stars glittering in the night sky. The torchlights in the city made it difficult to see all of the stars, but there were still more than Elsa could count. _As vast as our world is, there must be room for mine and Anna's love._

The sound of the bathroom door opening made Elsa turn. Despite the darkness of their bedroom, she saw her sister stop halfway to the bed, and Elsa couldn't help but smile at what she had likely just noticed.

"Elsa?"

"Yes, Anna?" Elsa replied as she slowly walked over to her sister.

Anna didn't take her eyes off the empty space in the wall on the far side of the large room, even when Elsa came up behind her and gently wrapped her arms around Anna's chest to hold her tightly. "Am I imagining things," she asked as Elsa carefully rested her chin on Anna's right shoulder, "or is the door between our rooms... gone?"

Elsa smiled. "It's gone," she said quietly. "I had it removed while we were at the reception downstairs."

Anna reached up and covered Elsa's arms with her own, clutching them more tightly to her chest as she closed her eyes and tried not to cry. Elsa remained silent as she felt her sister's tears splash down onto her arm; she simply stood there and held the woman she loved, both as a sister and as a mate.

After a few minutes, Anna sniffled, then she lifted the top of her shift to dab at her eyes. With a voice slightly raw, she said, "As beautiful as that door was, as much effort as they put into making it magical and playful, I really fucking hated it." She turned to face Elsa, who loosened her grip to let Anna do so. As soon as they were facing, Anna wrapped her own arms around her older sister as she looked up into Elsa's eyes, themselves moist with frosty tears. "Why did you have them take it down?" she finally asked.

Elsa felt her own heart pound as she struggled to not cry. "Because..." she began, then halted due to a catch in her throat. She swallowed, then tried again. "Because," she said, "I thought it was time we stopped having your rooms and my rooms, and instead had _our_ rooms."

Anna's jaw trembled, then she buried her head in Elsa's chest. As she cried, she managed to say, "I love you," between sobs.

Elsa cried her own tears, leaving them in the lushness of Anna's cinnamon hair. "I love you too, sweet Anna. More than anything, I love you."

Anna pulled back from Elsa enough to lift her head and kiss her older sister, lips wet with tears from both of them mingled together. As they kissed, their hands slid back and forth over each other's backs, uncertain of where exactly to be but content to just be there.

Anna abruptly pulled away from the kiss, leaving Elsa still leaning forward, the tip of her tongue still visible between her parted lips. Seeing the surprise on her sister's face, Anna smiled as she quietly said, "I'm ready."

Elsa's tears did nothing to lessen her smile. "I'm ready too," she said.

Anna ran her left hand over Elsa's face, trailing her index finger over her sister's pink lips. "Tonight, Elsa of Arendelle, I give you the most precious thing I have," she said slowly. "It's meant for you, and it always has been meant for you." She meant to say more, but emotion overtook her, leaving her ears ringing and her mouth quivering.

Elsa released her grip on her sister, moving to pull her nightgown over her head. Anna matched her action, pulling her shift over her head. The two women embraced again, this time with the electricity only felt when skin moves smoothly against skin. They both gasped at the new sensation before kissing again, this time with an urgency, an impulse that they had never known before. Both hearts were pounding as they awkwardly made their way to their bed, neither willing to relinquish the embrace. As their legs bumped against the bed, Elsa stopped, halting Anna's attempt to slide onto the bed.

Anna looked up, unsure if she had done something wrong, only to see Elsa's loving gaze.

Elsa stared at her sister, taking in the sight of her younger sibling confidently ready to take the irrevocable step into adulthood. For a fleeting moment, she wondered if she truly deserved such a gift, but then she realized that whether or not she did wasn't important. It was Anna's choice, and she had chosen to share this moment with Elsa.

Elsa sat on the bed as she kissed Anna's bare stomach just above her navel, getting a playful ruffle of her now-loose blonde hair in return. She looked up at her sister's face, happy and loving and sensual all at once. "I'm just thinking how wonderful, how lucky, how special I feel right now," she said before kissing Anna's belly again. "All because of you." She smiled as she ran her left hand down Anna's torso, reveling in the feel of her chest, her ribs, her hip under Elsa's touch. "You are the most beautiful, amazing thing I have ever seen, Anna of Arendelle, and I offer you my own maidenhead in return. You are the only lover I could ever want, and the only lover I will ever have. I will know no one's touch but yours, and from tonight to forever I am yours in every way."

As Anna slammed her lips against her sister's, she pulled them both down onto the bed, dragging Elsa over the slick sheets until she was satisfied neither of them would fall off. She pushed Elsa onto her back, then moved her head down Elsa's chest. Her tongue briefly clucked inside her mouth as she contemplated where to begin on Elsa's body.

The cool touch of Elsa's fingers on her left breast made up Anna's mind, and she lowered her head to Elsa's own breasts, lightly kissing each, taking the time to appreciate the taste of Elsa's fair skin before she hesitantly took her first lick of Elsa's nipples. The sharp intake of breath and shiver through her sister's body made Anna giggle, then repeat her action on the other breast.

She slid up and kissed Elsa again, grabbing her sister's head with both hands and hanging on tightly as they kissed furiously. As she felt Elsa's hand slide down her body to tickle her belly button, Anna laughed, getting a loving smile from her older sister. "I'm sorry," Anna said, still smiling. "It tickled!"

Elsa kissed Anna again, using the motion to push her little sister onto her back, where she straddled her. It was the same position they had been in two weeks ago, but this time there was no clothing between their bodies. Anna lifted her head to look down the length of her naked body, and the sight of Elsa's pelvis hovering just a hair's width over her own sent a jolt up the back of her neck into her head, so intense it was painful for a second before giving way to an near-animal arousal. When Elsa leaned her body down until her lips were just above Anna's, the anticipation was mind-bending.

With a soft voice, Elsa said, "Anna, tonight there is absolutely nothing to be sorry about. Anything we do, anything we try, it'll be because we want to please each other. We'll learn this..." She smiled. "Together."

As Elsa's fingers laced with Anna's where her hands lay above her head, Anna felt her entire body tingle. It felt like she had been smiling for her entire life, and there was no way to stop, no reason to _want_ to stop. "Together," she whispered back as she squeezed Elsa's hands, then her older sister's lips were on hers, and they began to make love.

It was awkward at first, as such things so often are, but the two sisters quickly found that with each other, there was no shame or embarrassment, only encouragement, pleasure and love. They took turns touching, tasting, kissing, licking, until there were no secrets left between the two of them. They fell asleep in each other's arms, only to wake again a few hours later, their desire and yearning rekindled. This time they were more confident, Elsa first taking control of Anna until she had been utterly satisfied, then Anna returning the favor until Elsa jerked and whimpered in ecstasy. They fell asleep again, this time with Elsa holding Anna snugly from behind, their bodies melded together like a sculpture as they lay on the bed and its sole remaining sheet; the blankets and furs had long been kicked or thrown into the floor to allow a better grip or more comfortable position for Arendelle's royal sisters.

Elsa awoke shortly before dawn, the soft pink quickening outside the window the only hint of light in the cool darkness of their room. She wasted no time, slipping her right hand down Anna's slender body and between her legs. Anna mumbled something in her sleep, but her body responded on its own, lifting a leg to allow Elsa's fingers smoother entry into her sister.

As Anna felt the delicious warmth of Elsa entering her, she stretched her right arm over her head and behind her, grabbing a handful of Elsa's long blonde hair. "Mmmm, good morning, my love," she purred as she pushed back against Elsa's hand.

Elsa kissed the back of Anna's neck, trying to bless every freckle present with her lips. "It's the best morning ever," Elsa said warmly, not slowing the rhythm of her fingers until she felt Anna's entire body stiffen, trapping her hand between Anna's legs until her orgasm played itself out. She curled her finger slightly and stroked a few more times, triggering another powerful orgasm in her younger sister.

As soon as Anna was capable of movement, she rolled over as quickly as she could without breaking Elsa's hand. She laid her head down on the pillow in front of Elsa, joyously taking in the sight of her sister's sapphire blue eyes just inches away, looking back at her with love and desire in the dim light of the early dawn. She knew she was grinning like a fool, but she didn't care. "Can we do that every night?" she asked, green eyes twinkling as she reached up and idly played with a tuft of her copper hair. "Please?"

Rather than answer with words, Elsa put her right hand in front of Anna's face, extending her wet fingers toward her sister's mouth. With a smile that made Elsa's stomach flip, Anna slowly leaned forward, taking each finger in her mouth, carefully sucking each one clean. When she was done, she slid closer to Elsa, relishing the feeling as their breasts brushed against each other. "I taste good," Anna said as she touched her nose to her sister's, "but you taste better."

"I have to disagree with you on that, Anna," Elsa said, her eyes snapping shut as she felt Anna's eager finger slide into her. "In fact..." she tried to finish, but her mouth wasn't cooperating with her at the moment. Elsa just focused on the crazy, wonderful sensation of her little sister's finger—oh, make that fingers—in her. She opened her eyes, fully intending to say something clever to Anna, but as soon as Elsa saw the expression of glee on Anna's face, tongue peeking out of her mouth as she focused on pleasuring her big sister, her orgasm blasted through her without warning. Her head shot back as her abdomen jerked once, twice, three times; her legs straightened out so forcefully that it lifted her hips off the bed. When Anna _then_ started sucking on her left breast, Elsa was sure she was bucking so hard that the bed frame itself was going to break, then everything went gray before turning black.

Before Elsa could open her eyes again, she was aware of Anna's hand brushing lightly over her forehead, most likely moving her unruly morning hair out of her face. She could hear Anna humming quietly, a song she couldn't place right now but knew that she loved. She could feel Anna's naked body against her, the tip of a finger tracing lazy lines across Elsa's chest and abdomen.

"Are you with us again, sleepyhead?" Anna said teasingly.

Elsa didn't want to open her eyes, because Anna's gentle touch and comforting warmth simply felt too good to not focus on. "Did we break the bed?" she managed to mumble between lips that felt numb yet somehow still tingled.

Anna laughed loudly, ending the laugh by kissing Elsa on the lips. "No, we didn't break the bed, silly," she said. "But it _does_ look like you had a good time last night."

Unsure what Anna meant by her last comment, Elsa sleepily blinked open her eyes, only to open them wide when she got a glimpse of their room, now better lit by the sun as it peeked over the horizon. She sat up to get a better look, not believing what she was seeing. The entire room, from floor to ceiling, had been covered in sparkling ice. Everything was still in its place, from the chairs to tables to portraits to lamps, all encased in a thick wall of ice. She looked down off the bed, only to see that the bed had actually been lifted off the floor by a pillar of ice, raising it nearly two feet higher than it normally was. "Oh my," Elsa murmured to herself.

"Looks like _some_body got a little excited last night!" Anna said gleefully as she wrapped her arms around Elsa, squeezing her tightly.

Elsa reached up to cover Anna's forearm with her right hand, still surveying the room. "How... How long has it been this way?"

"Mmm, I'd guess at least a few hours, judging from how the icicles are forming on the ceiling." Anna planted soft kisses on Elsa's left ear, more than slightly distracting her sister. "Well, other than the bed. You did that just a few minutes ago, when you passed out."

Elsa turned to face her sister, catching the last kiss on her forehead. "And you're not cold? Anna, you should be freezing!" She fully turned to face her sister, but there was no sign of her skin turning blue or red.

Anna looked down at her arms, then her legs and feet. "No, I feel fine. Not cold at all. Huh."

"I know you told me that you didn't seem to be getting cold as quickly as you used to, but Anna! You've been lying naked in a giant icebox for hours! How do you not have frostbite or hypothermia?"

Anna thought for a minute before speaking. "I have a theory on that," she said, sliding to the edge of the bed and dangling her legs off the edge as she saw how high they were off the ground.

"Anna, that's ice below you, not like the sheet and the bed, which would have preserved at least a little bit of heat! Don't—"

But Anna had already slid off the bed, landing neatly on her bare feet. Her face was cautious for a second or two, then it gave way to excitement. "I feel fine," she said. "It's not even as cold as your ice gown was yesterday, when I held it. It just feels like the stone floor does in winter. I can tell it's colder than it usually is, but that's all." She cautiously pushed off with her right foot, grinning when she slid a short distance across the icy floor. She then pushed off with the other foot, pleased when she scooted back toward the bed, Elsa now perched on the side as she watched her sister closely.

Elsa got to her knees. She raised her right arm high above her head, and with a sweeping circular motion of her hand, she pulled all the ice in the room into the air, lowering the bed back to the floor and condensing the ice into a ball roughly the size of a healthy pumpkin before she dismissed it into glimmering vapor with a soft puff.

Anna hopped back onto the bed, sprawling out beside Elsa. "You have no idea how hot you look when you do that," she said quietly, gazing at Elsa's chest and abdomen, stretched long and lean by her position until she put her arm back down at her side.

"Anna."

"Elsa," Anna replied, a knowing smirk on her face. "Thanks for bringing the bed back down, by the way. Wasn't sure how I was going to get enough traction to get back up on it."

Elsa gave her sister a feigned look of disinterest. "I'm sure you'd have found a way."

"With you up here? You better believe it." She extended her left arm. "Freeze my hand."

"What?"

"I said, freeze my hand." She waved her hand a few times. "Go on. I want to see if I'm right." Seeing Elsa still looking unsure, Anna rested her right hand on her sister's bare thigh. "Elsa, you're not going to hurt me. I'm sure of it. If it does start to hurt, you can just unfreeze it. You know how to do it now."

Worries and fears began to race through Elsa's head. This was Anna, her sister, whom she loved more than anything. The last thing she wanted to do was try something that might hurt her, but she _had_ developed better control over her powers. She pushed the worries aside and focused on Anna's hand. With a slight motion of her hand, a ball of ice sprang into existence around Anna's hand.

"See?" Anna said, holding her hand out in front of her. "It's not even cold on me. I can feel that it's cooler than I am, but it's not bad at all."

Elsa laid her hand on Anna's ice-encased hand, and at her touch the ice shattered, dissolving before it could touch the bed. "Okay, Anna. Explain."

Anna opened and closed her left hand, seeing how not even a hint of ice or cold remained. "Well," she began, "it's pretty simple, really." She reached out and laid her left hand over Elsa's right. "You're pretty much, well... the cold. And ice, and snow. And over the last two weeks as we've been getting more... intimate, I guess, the cold has been affecting me less and less. I had first thought it was me getting used to it, but yesterday when I was holding your gown, I knew that my hands should had been frostbitten from how long I held it, whether I felt the cold or not. So I started to think that maybe it's not me getting used to the cold, maybe it's the _cold_ getting used to _me_."

She sat up, moving right in front of Elsa so their faces were just an inch apart. "And last night..." She grinned again, then she kissed Elsa slowly, lovingly. "Last night, my beautiful, beautiful Winter Queen, you claimed me _completely_ as yours. That means I now belong to you, and by extension, I now belong to the ice, and the snow, and the cold."

Elsa kissed Anna, pulling her younger sister into her lap, Anna's legs spread around Elsa's waist as they embraced each other. "I'm okay with that," she said as they parted for a quick breath. "As long as you remember I belong to you as well."

"Elsa, you're my queen," Anna said, draping her arms over Elsa's shoulders. "And I'm fine with that."

"Ah, but _you_ are _my_ queen," Elsa replied, lightly poking Anna on the chin with a fingertip. "And I've decided that I am no longer content with continuing this masquerade of entertaining consorts for the two of us."

Anna laid her head upon Elsa's shoulder, sighing happily at being able to touch, to hold the woman she loved in exactly the way she wanted. It was confined to their chambers for now, but it was real, and it was her wildest dream come true. "Well, I'm not arguing with you on that, Elsa, but how are you going to explain that to the hundreds of nobles, royals and ambassadors who are here for that very purpose?"

Elsa allowed herself to smile, to relax for this fleeting moment that Anna was in her arms and everything was perfect. "I think it's time we changed things up a bit for our guests," she said finally. "But first, nothing is more important than taking a long, hot shower with the princess who took my virginity."

**Author's Afterword:** Confession here: I hate writing sex scenes. It's not something I'm particularly good at, it's not something that comes naturally to me, and there are tons of writers out there who do it much, much better. That said, sometimes it's part of a story, and as such it has to be written. I had no idea this scene would grow as big as it did, but I like the finished product. I do tend to leave much of the play-by-play out when it comes to sex, as I want people to use their own imaginations to a large degree when visualizing these scenes. Important details have to be there, but I love the simplicity and elegance of letting people build the scene as they read it in a way that resonates personally with them. I freely admit I enjoy reading the racier stuff, especially if it's well-written; it's just not my style of writing generally, and I'm okay with that. Those of you who do it well, you just keep right on doing it!

This chapter had a hint of what's to come in the rest of the story, with some foreshadowing more obvious (Wilhelm) than others (… you'll have to wait and see!). We're building to our first real taste of action soon enough, with quite a bit more yet to come afterward. See you soon, and if you do get snowed in, enjoy the quality time with Elsa and Anna!


	5. Chapter 5: Black and White

**Author's Note:** Time for another chapter. I think I'm just going to let my winamp decide the music for each chapter at this point (except for two). It's responsible for this chapter's music as well, bringing it up to play while I was about halfway through the chapter. Kerli is a _really good_ songwriter, particularly for someone who learned English as a second language, and the pace and theme of "Chemical" is perfect for most of this chapter.

I also want to take a moment to thank everyone for reading and for leaving their reviews! I love hearing reactions and thoughts as people read the story, because that gives me a glimpse of how different people are seeing and feeling the narrative. Let me give special recognition to **theshadowswhisper**, **Woltor, Erzajane **and** MileyDreamer,** all of whom left reviews and thoughts that really stood out. I've already spoken to whisper on her/his (I try not to assume!) insightful comments, which I absolutely loved. I really can't say too much more other than I _am_ aware of how Rapunzel ended and that her hair lost its magic and turned from blonde to brown at the end of _Tangled._ You'll see, I promise. Woltor, I'm glad you got the same vibe I did from the characters in terms of their beliefs. We'll explore that a bit more soon enough. And while I hadn't planned on a maypole, the equinoxes will have a special meaning in my story, but that's a ways off. Erzajane, your English seems just fine to me! I got your point very clearly, and I'm glad you're with us. Dreamer, I'm sorry it's been rough for you recently. Hopefully this story can lift your spirits a bit and give you some positive energy! Everyone else, thank you for reading and leaving me your thoughts!

Cover Art for the story is by the incredibly talented Trixdraws from DeviantArt. Thank you again, Trix!

_Here are my standard disclaimers_: I make no claims on any of Disney's trademarks or copyrights, and no infringement is intended on them or those of any other artist or publication mentioned. Be forewarned that this story most certainly will contain femslash. If love and affection between two consenting young adults of the same sex bothers you, I suggest you turn right around and find something else to read. Keep any flames to yourself and remember that what our world needs now is more love and acceptance, not more hate. Reviews are always welcomed and appreciated! Some of the themes (well, one theme in particular, really) might make readers uncomfortable. I understand that. If you really don't like it, please stop reading and walk away from this story. I promise I won't be offended.

**Feel, Don't Conceal**

by Jo K.

Chapter 5: Black and White

_Open up my eyes and feel your heartbeat_

_As we lay with your body pressed against mine_

_And I know, and I know this very moment_

_This will be, this will be 'til the end of time_

_I want you to know this love is more than chemical_

_It feels unusual and I can't get enough, no_

_This love is more than chemical_

_And we're unbreakable_

-Kerli, "Chemical"

As Queen Elsa and Princess Anna entered the main dining hall, the roughly fifty guests already enjoying breakfast stopped, stood respectfully, then noticed something peculiar. While Queen Elsa had been quite friendly yesterday, even seeming to enjoy herself to some degree during the reception the night before, this morning she looked aglow, nearly radiant with joy. Princess Anna was right behind her, and she too had a look of giddiness all about her.

"Good morning everyone!" Elsa said happily, waving to the crowd in general.

"Good morning!" Anna said, immediately after her sister. However, she didn't wave, as her hands were firmly embedded in the pockets of her dress. She was quite hesitant to remove them, because she knew that as soon as she did, she'd be holding Elsa's hand. Or hugging her. Or maybe just grabbing her and kissing her in front of everyone in—

"Anna!"

Her thoughts snapped back to breakfast at Elsa's voice. "Coming!" she said, hurrying over to the table reserved for the two of them. Already seated there was Rapunzel, along with an older woman Anna had never seen before. She wasn't old, exactly, maybe in her forties or early fifties judging from the considerable gray in her otherwise raven-black hair, but she was significantly older than the other three women now sitting with her. As Elsa and Anna took their seats, Rapunzel gave them both a sly smile.

"You two both seem to be in fine moods this morning," she said as she reached for a piece of toast. "A far sight better than at dinner last night, at least." She looked to Elsa and said, "I was trying to decide if you were going to freeze that pompous man or just kick him out."

Elsa politely took some smoked salmon and a croissant off a nearby plate before answering. "Well, it was a toss-up for a while," she admitted. "If there hadn't been a room full of guests, it might have turned out differently."

"Are all the royals from the Southern Isles untrustworthy?" Anna asked, more innocently than it sounded.

"Not all of them are untrustworthy," said the older woman, wearing a bright red dress with extensive multicolored embroidery. "But all of them are ambitious. It goes with being an island nation, or an archipelago in their case. You are always looking for more territory due to limited resources."

Elsa looked to her younger sister. "Anna, I don't believe you've met Princesza Ekaterina of the Ruthenian Empire," she said, gesturing to the fourth woman at the table. "She's an exception to the rule of our guests this week, with no son or relative interested in our hands in marriage."

"Pleased to meet you!" Anna said cheerily, tipping her head as a gesture of greeting, one that was returned precisely the same.

"And the same to meet you, young princess," Ekaterina said. She looked to back to Elsa and smiled. "I would not say that none of my relatives would be interested in your hands in marriage; rather I would say that all of them who would be interested are such fools as to not be worthy of your time, so I left them at home." She looked back to Anna, the remnants of her earlier smile still hinted at on her face. "I was a friend of your mother's from many years ago. Events in my country have prevented me from leaving for quite some time, so I wanted to take this opportunity to see how beautiful her daughters had become."

Elsa took a drink of ice water before asking, "I take it you're talking about the Holy War?"

Ekatarina nodded. "My country lost nearly twenty years during the conflict with the church of Glavadia. An insidious viper, sowing discord and setting Ruthenian against Ruthenian in the bloodiest civil war in my country's history."

Elsa loaded a bit more salmon on her plate, then added some to Anna's as well. "Eat," she told her sister sweetly. "Your mind's somewhere else this morning, Anna," she added with a slight smile that only her sister could see.

_And you know exactly where that would be_, Anna thought, her face reddening instantly at where her line of thinking was taking her. _And we get to do it all over again tonight. Life is really good sometimes._ She smiled back at Elsa as she stabbed a large piece of smoked salmon with her fork. "Thank you for taking _such_ good care of me, Elsa," she said, a saucy tone in her voice that instantly got Elsa's attention, drawing a sharp look from her older sister. Anna smiled and winked in reply, unable to suppress her delight at the new-found intimacy between her and Elsa.

"So, is there some good news we should be aware of?" Rapunzel asked, clearly hopeful.

"Yes!" said Elsa and Anna simultaneously; Elsa gently took Anna's hand and squeezed it. She didn't think Anna would blurt out, _My sister and I had wild, crazy sex last night and we both loved it_, but they couldn't take the chance just yet. She caught Anna's gaze, and she could see the acknowledgment in her sister's eyes, teal in the light of the breakfast room.

"Yes," Elsa repeated, more controlled and with a softer voice this time. "But we're waiting until tomorrow to tell everyone."

"And we're making a few changes to today's schedule, too," Anna added. "We're giving the boys some time to go be boys, and we're taking the girls—and ladies—up the mountain for some fun."

Less than two hours later, five large sleighs full of princesses, duchesses, baronesses and other noblewomen were on their way up into the mountains northwest of the castle. Small teams of draft horses pulled each sleigh, with Elsa and Anna in the lead sleigh. Rapunzel was with them, as were some other noble ladies Anna and Elsa were both meeting for the first time. The conversation was surprisingly light and pleasant for the most part, with Anna noting Elsa was content to let the others do most of the talking.

Warm blankets had been provided for everyone, and Anna had taken advantage of the blanket she and Elsa were sharing to hold her sister's hand surreptitiously. Neither of them needed the blanket to ward off the chill now, but neither of them wanted to draw attention to that little fact. While Elsa's immunity to the cold wasn't exactly a secret, explaining how Anna had obtained that quality would have been more complicated.

By the time the sleighs had made their way into the mountains, Anna had fallen asleep lying against Elsa. Elsa had shifted her body to where she was leaning against the side of the sleigh, holding Anna as her sister slept. She refrained from placing any kisses on Anna's adorable face, but she allowed herself to hold Anna closely, hoping that observers would pass it off as sisterly love.

Which it was, in its own way. They were still very much sisters, even though their love had grown beyond the typical limits of what was acceptable for sibling affection. Whether it was due to their separation from each other, each growing up essentially alone while yearning for acceptance, their parents' death leaving them with no one but each other, the events of the Eternal Winter or whether they were simply meant to be with each other and no one else, they were more than sisters, more than lovers, more than friends. If no one else ever understood that, so be it. They understood each other, and that was enough for the two of them.

As they arrived at the entrance to the hot springs lodge Oaken ran as part of his business, Elsa gently nudged Anna. "Wake up, Anna," she said softly as Idunn went inside to pay Oaken for the use of his facilities for the day.

"Stop pullin' the covers off me, Elsa," Anna mumbled sleepily, prompting Elsa to poke a little harder. "Hey!" Anna shouted, jumping up into a seated position.

"We're here, Anna," Elsa said, giving her sister a look which clearly conveyed _Drop it_. Anna put a pout on her face, but she complied. She wasn't really mad, but her ribs were a bit sore where Elsa had poked her. Elsa's voice whispering in her ear abruptly drew her attention. "The hot springs will make it feel better, and I'll give you a nice... massage tonight."

Anna turned to look at Elsa. "Deal," she said, now quite pleased as she hopped down out of the sleigh.

Idunn returned with a rather large key, almost cartoonishly oversized. Elsa, Anna, Rapunzel and Ygrit all followed her, as did one of Rapunzel's curious handmaidens. She had left most of them behind at the castle, but one of the small maidens had accompanied her, wearing the light blue oversized hooded robe and white veil that all of them seemed to wear. Idunn somewhat awkwardly opened the lock, which was situated nearly at her head's height on the huge wooden door, banded with iron strips. Once it was open, she, Ygrit and Rapunzel's attendant pushed the massive door open.

A rich cloud of steam roiled out, the sharp tang of minerals evident with even a slight smell, and a crowd of curious women quickly gathered. While hot springs were well-known to some of the women, particularly those from neighboring countries such as Ruthenia, Kolvoda, Karelia and Dustonya, most of the women present had never seen hot springs or a sauna before. For them, most covered in coats and blankets due to the snow both falling around them as well as that already covering the ground, this was a novelty they had not been expecting.

"You may place your belongings in this room," Elsa said, indicating the first storage and changing room, "or this other one," pointing to the adjoining room. "As for the springs themselves, you may wear swimming clothes or nothing at all, whichever you choose. This is a place of healing the body as well as the spirit; all are welcome to experience it."

As the noblewomen began to enter the large hot springs pool in the main room, Elsa noted that none of the servants or attendants had so much as begun changing. _That's not going to do_, she thought with a mental sigh. "Ygrit," she said, bringing her handmaiden closer. "I think you and Idunn will have to show the others that they're welcome to enjoy the springs as well."

"Yes, Your Majesty," Ygrit said with a small nod. As she removed her clothes, Idunn followed, with a few of the other servants and attendants then following suit. Anna and Elsa had both already shed their clothes, with Elsa removing her ice gown and hanging it up just as Anna did her own mundane dress.

As Ygrit and Idunn stepped into the springs, they walked next to where Elsa and Anna had found a seat, this time with Anna leaning against the wall and holding Elsa. As they walked by, Anna noticed two things. First, from the position of their arms, Ygrit and Idunn started holding hands as soon as they were waist-deep in the swirling, cloudy mineral water. But the second thing she noticed was even more interesting. "Elsa," she whispered into Elsa's ear, prompting the slightly older woman to open her eyes.

As Rapunzel's handmaiden removed her veil, Anna and Elsa noticed the girl was still young, but she was older than Idunn or Ygrit, closer to Elsa's or Rapunzel's age than Anna's. When she stepped out of her light blue robe, her dark brown hair was cut shockingly short, nearly shaved. She also had a long, wicked-looking scar along her left side.

Elsa pondered whether to ask the young woman about the scar, but she decided against it. It would be more proper to ask Rapunzel privately about—

"How'd you get that scar?" asked Anna, her voice sweet but definitely curious.

The attendant looked surprised, but she dutifully waded closer to the two sisters. As she did so, Anna and Elsa could see Rapunzel enter the hot springs cavern, her honey blonde hair entirely wrapped up in a large towel. They waved their cousin over to sit with them; she smiled as she carefully walked across the slick stone floor.

"This feels amazing!" Rapunzel said as she settled into a seated position, making sure neither her hair nor her towel touched the water as she leaned back against the rough-hewn stone.

"I was just asking your handmaiden how she got that scar," Anna said pleasantly.

Rapunzel looked at Anna, and for a brief moment her expression was unreadable. Then the expression was gone, replaced by her usual friendly smile. "You may tell them, Selma," she said politely.

Selma looked at Anna, the intensity of her gaze making Anna oddly uncomfortable. "It was an assassination attempt on the Princess, over a year ago. The attacker struck me instead." She looked at Rapunzel, then back to Anna. "I don't feel it's my place to say more. I'm sorry, Your Highness."

_Great_, Elsa thought. _Now she's _really_ going to be curious_. "'Zel, you really don't have to go into any details. Anna's just being a bit nosy."

"I am not!"

"Really?"

"... Okay, I'm being nosy."

Rapunzel laughed lightly. "You're both so adorable!" she said, a bit more loudly than she had intended. She scooted closer to Anna and Elsa before saying, "Let's just say that not everyone in Corona was happy that I married a commoner. Some of the more ruthless nobles have tried to kill Flynn and me both. Thankfully the attacks seem to have stopped at this point, but over a half dozen nobles were in on those plots... that we know of." She looked over at Selma, giving her a look of confidence. "So not all my handmaidens are handmaidens. Some, like Selma, are bodyguards as well. She killed the man who wounded her, but only after she had pried loose the name of the man who paid him. He was executed as well."

Anna took another look at Selma, and now the hardness in her blue-gray eyes was visible. She turned back to Rapunzel. With her voice carefully lowered, she asked, "There were people in Corona who tried to kill you? Because they didn't approve of your choice of husband?"

Rapunzel nodded, being careful not to tip the towel on her head. "Unfortunately, yes. Some people are so tied to tradition and expectations that they cannot accept something which goes against those customs."

Elsa felt Anna hug her a bit more tightly beneath the concealing waters. "There are people like that everywhere," Elsa carefully said. "Thankfully, Arendelle has always been a bit more relaxed when it comes to how people live their lives."

Rapunzel's face grew serious as she looked at her older cousin. "Would you be willing to bet your life on that, Elsa?"

Elsa nodded. "I would."

Rapunzel smiled sadly, then said, "Would you be willing to bet _Anna's_ life on it?"

Anna felt the water around them grow cold immediately. She whispered, "Elsa! Stop it!" into her sister's ear, breaking the temporary surge of her powers. "I swear!" she said, her voice subdued. "Everybody else, we just have to worry about them _peeing_ in the water!"

Immediately sputtering and laughing erupted from Rapunzel and Elsa both, followed by Selma. "What?" asked Anna innocently.

After a nice afternoon of soaking alternating with massages from some of Oaken's workers, everyone on the spa trip was in a wonderful mood as they made their way back down to the town of Arendelle. Elsa and Anna had both gotten to know all the other women to varying degrees, and Elsa felt quite confident that no one would be ready to go to war after she revealed she would be marrying Anna, not any of their sons, brothers, uncles, nephews or cousins.

Well, she hoped.

Dinner was a very low-key affair, with the men not making it back from their outdoor expeditions of fishing, hunting and hiking until nearly dusk. This evening the women were gathered together for dinner, with the men broken up into smaller tables around the ballroom. This was when the male members of the royal family would traditionally get to know the suitors, but with no living male members of Arendelle's royal family, this job had to be done unobtrusively by the various servants, who had all been ordered to report back to Kai, the Head of Staff of the castle. He would discuss the various opinions of the waitstaff with the queen later.

After dinner was complete, Anna and Elsa retired to their chambers. They noticed that the bed linens had been turned down again. The bedsheets from last night had disappeared while the two sisters had been in the shower that morning; whether it had been Ygrit or Idunn collecting them, Elsa was sure the sheets and their sanguinous evidence of the last night's activities had been thoroughly disposed of.

"This room looks amazing," Anna said, admiring how seemingly everything in the room had been cleaned during dinner. "Are they going to each keep doing their regular rooms, do you think? Or will they take turns cleaning this room, since we're sleeping in here?"

"I think they can decide for themselves how they want to handle their duties," Elsa said, removing her diamond earrings.

"Well, yeah, I know that," Anna said, moving to unlace Elsa's gown before she realized that was unnecessary. "Oop, you don't need me to unlace yours. It... doesn't have laces anyway," she said, her voice trailing off as she gazed down Elsa's fair back and over her rear.

"I figured I'd leave it on until you were undressed," Elsa said. She looked over her shoulder, catching Anna's eye before she said, "I don't want to distract you while you're getting ready for bed."

"Then maybe you shouldn't have made your butt so cute in that gown!" Anna said, smacking Elsa on that particular body part. She danced away in case Elsa tried to retaliate with a snowball or ice blast, but no such response came.

Anna walked over to her wardrobes, newly moved into their bedroom. "They're together, you know," she said as she opened the wardrobe where her current gown was normally stored.

"Who is?" Elsa replied.

"Idunn and Ygrit. At least I'm pretty sure they are. They were holding hands in the hot springs when they didn't think anyone could see their hands under the water."

"Good for them," Elsa said quietly, closing the jewelry box she kept in their room. "Both of them came from horrific experiences. They deserve some happiness."

"What do you know about Ygrit's life before she came to the castle?" Anna asked as Elsa went into the bathroom. She took off the gown and hung it in her wardrobe while she waited for Elsa to emerge. "I mean, I don't ever talk to her much."

Elsa came out with her hair down, long blonde locks falling over her shoulders and down her chest. "I know that the one time I asked her about it, she told me that she'd prefer not to tell me, because I'd then spend the rest of my life trying to forget about it." She dissolved her dress with a wave of her hands downward, then slipped into the bed. "According to the soldiers who found her, her family was killed by raiders from Karelia; several of their bodies were found in the burned remains of their house. She had fought them as well, based on some of her injuries, but they had... overpowered her." Elsa felt her eyes water and sting; this was a subject where Ygrit had been all too correct. "Our soldiers killed the three remaining raiders, then they brought her back to the castle. She never said how long she had been their captive, and truly I do not wish to know."

"Well, that does sound horrible," Anna said as she walked into the bathroom, wearing just her undershirt and undershorts. "And I thought Idunn had it bad, seeing her entire family slowly die in front of her."

Elsa twirled a lock of her hair as she lay in the bed, thinking about childhoods and how important a role they played in shaping young lives. But a childhood was only a start. Good or bad, wonderful or horrible, it was a beginning, and it was up to each person to grow out of the past. "Maybe it's time for Arendelle to grow out of the past, too," she said to herself.

The lamp going out and plunging the room into darkness made her spin, catching a glimpse of Anna's nude figure sliding into the bed beside her. She was incredibly warm, and Elsa felt her own body heat up in response to her sister wrapping an arm and a leg around her, pinning her in place while they kissed. When they broke for air, Anna said, "What were you talking about just then?" with a playful smile on her face.

"I'm just worried about what kind of reaction we're going to get when we tell Arendelle," Elsa said.

Anna kissed her again before rolling over, pulling Elsa on top of her. She guided Elsa's right hand down below the covers, letting out a little sigh when she was satisfied with its new position. "Well, we can talk about that tomorrow, my love," she said with a smile on her face. " I have much better plans for your mouth tonight."

Elsa was awakened the next morning by the sound of a bath running in their bathroom, followed by a cheerful, "Time to wake up, Your Majesty, Your Highness!" She blinked her eyes open to see both Ygrit and Idunn standing attentively beside her bed. "We're running a bath for you and the Princess," Ygrit said, not even blinking an eye at the unmistakable way Anna was sprawled across her sister.

The covers were down far enough to see most of Anna's bare back, her adorable freckles on display for all to see, and the way her right leg stuck out from under the blankets left no doubt as to how her legs were spread over her sister. Elsa's chest was fairly well covered by Anna's body, much to her—and Anna's—delight. "Anna," Elsa said, gently running her hand through her sister's rather wild hair. "Anna, it's time to wake up, my love," the endearment past her lips before she even realized she had said it.

Elsa shot a glance at the handmaidens. They both blushed slightly, but otherwise they showed no discomfort or even surprise at Elsa's choice of words.

"Pardon, Your Majesty, but Ygrit and I are having a bit of a disagreement on the proper temperature for your bath."

Elsa gave Anna a more significant push, but she only succeeded in tipping her partially to the right, not all the way off of her. "Hey, knock 't off," Anna mumbled, re-establishing her grip on her big sister with her right arm and leg. The effect of feeling Anna's body sliding across her own chest and belly made Elsa tingle all over. A small snow flurry sprang to life over the far side of the large bed, which Elsa immediately extinguished with a blink of her eyes.

Elsa looked back to the handmaidens, still dutifully standing beside the bed. "What is your question, Idunn?" she asked, wondering if she was going to have to carry Anna into the bathtub this way.

"Ygrit says that you prefer your baths cold, Your Majesty, while the Princess prefers her hot."

_Ah. Hadn't considered that. We did take a shower yesterday, and the girls were sweet enough to give us our privacy. _"Make it a warm bath, please. If my sister wants it cold, I can cool it faster than we could run more hot water."

"Yes, Your Majesty." Ygrit and Idunn turned and walked into the bathroom to make the proper adjustments to the water temperature.

"Anna," Elsa tried again. "Anna, if you wake up now, I'll let you take a bath with me."

"Mmmm," came a sleepy voice from somewhere around Elsa's right breast. "C'n we fool 'round some more?"

"Seriously? I'm a little sore from last night. You worked me over pretty blessed well."

"Not my fault y'r gettin' old."

"I am _not_ getting old!" Elsa threw the covers back. "Okay, I'm going to freeze your butt now!" she said, then she remembered that her powers didn't really hurt or even discomfort Anna at this point. It probably would have ended there, had Anna not cheekily patted her own bare butt, now exposed by the covers.

The crisp smack was audible even inside the bathroom with the water running into the large sunken tub. Idunn and Ygrit both jerked their heads up, just in time to see Elsa walking huffily into the bathroom, completely naked.

"OW, Elsa!" cried a voice still in the bedroom. "I don't like it _that_ har—" Anna said, her mouth open to continue when she came into the bathroom, only to shriek when she saw Ygrit present. "Ygrit! What are you doing here... in... Elsa's bathroom." She nodded. "Yeah, right. Sorry."

"It's our bathroom now, remember, silly?" Elsa said from the tub. She already had her hair wet and slicked back, the pale blonde now becoming a lovely dark gold. "It appears that our handmaidens have decided to work together since we're going to be taking our baths jointly from now on."

"Convenient how that works," Anna said, giving the two handmaidens a smile as she stepped into the large bathtub.

After breakfast Elsa made her way into the throne room, not really eager to conduct some business but prepared to do so. As she entered, she saw Prince Wilhelm waiting on her. She deliberately ignored him until she was seated in her father's throne. "Prince Wilhelm," she said, pleased to see him stand when addressed. "I have considered your request to speak with me regarding your brother's attempt to murder not only my sister but also me."

Smoothly catching the pause, Wilhelm said, "Yes, Your Majesty. The Southern Isles wish to negotiate some sort of recompense for the criminal acts Hans committed toward you, your country and your sister."

"So noted," Elsa said. "I accept your request to discuss this matter."

"Your Majesty's grace in sparing Hans' life and allowing us to determine his final punishment was also greatly appreciated," Wilhelm said with a small bow. "Perhaps we can discuss reparations in a... less formal environment?"

Elsa considered the request. While he seemed honest, so did Hans, and Elsa found it hard to focus on anything but anger when it came the Southern Isles now. However, this was a rare opportunity to secure another trading partner and possibly more. The Isles had some of the best sailors and ships on the ocean, and their trade routes ran far and wide. Such an alliance might indeed prove to be worthwhile for Arendelle. "Very well," she said. "We can move to the game room. I believe some of the other guests are already there."

As Elsa and Wilhelm moved out of the throne room into the game room, they caught Anna's eye, despite the crowd of guests already in the game room. As Anna stared at them, Elsa turned and locked eyes with her sister. Anna knew that Elsa was trying to deal with Wilhelm in a way that minimized Anna's discomfort, but she also knew Elsa didn't want to admit that Wilhelm made her just as uncomfortable as he did Anna. Anna stood, setting her juice on the table beside her chair, and made her way across the large game room, furnished with billiard tables, flat desks perfect for working puzzles or playing cards, recessed tables for dice and rune games, and several small tables with chess sets of varying styles and quality set up on them. She finally caught up to them as they settled across from each other at a small table with a very old chess set laid out upon it.

The pieces of the chess set were huge, all of them carved from white pine, with the kings standing nearly a foot tall. The black pieces had been carefully lacquered, while the white pieces had been simply varnished with no coloring added at all. The intricacies of the woodwork upon each piece was stunning; Anna remembered staring at this particular set many times when she was a child, but she had never been allowed to play with it. Which was probably for the best, she had to admit.

"Hi," Anna said to her sister as she came up beside her, resting a hand casually on her left shoulder.

"Hello, Anna," Elsa said as she reached up and squeezed Anna's hand warmly.

"Princess Anna!" said Wilhelm, standing quickly as he smiled and bowed to her. "You are as beautiful as I have heard!"

"From who, your brother?" Anna said, instantly regretting the venom of her words. She shook her head. "I'm sorry, that wasn't fair, was it?" she said. "You shouldn't be blamed for your brother's actions."

Wilhelm seemed oddly unperturbed by Anna's remark. "No more than you should be blamed for your sister's. When her powers were... uncontrolled, of course."

An awkward silence fell over the trio, broken finally by Elsa's voice. "Would you like to play a game of chess, Prince Wilhelm?"

"I would be delighted," he said, again taking a cushioned seat behind the black pieces. "Do you play much, Your Majesty?"

"Not much," Elsa admitted. "I used to play more frequently when I was younger, but it has been some time."

"I find it an excellent metaphor for ruling a kingdom," Wilhelm said. "It requires understanding the role of each piece, how they work together and the ability to look to the future to direct them to victory."

"I just liked knocking the pieces over," Anna said quietly, drawing a soft laugh from Elsa. Truthfully, Anna never had been very good at chess. Elsa had been better, with her older sister always winning the games they rarely shared in the game room. They had to play one move at a time, Elsa taking her turns when the rest of the castle was asleep, Anna when everyone was awake. But even though Anna always lost, she relished the opportunity to have any interaction with her sister, even if it was just in the form of moves on a chess board or a carefully folded note left beneath a rook or a bishop.

Knowing Elsa's superior skill at chess, Anna expected her sister to win handily. She was surprised when Wilhelm won and doubly surprised with the speed in which he won. In a rematch, Elsa lasted longer, but Wilhelm won again. Anna found herself watching the pieces dance across the painted squares, silently cheering for each piece Elsa captured and mourning for each piece lost. She wasn't even aware the third game was over until Elsa yielded her white king yet again.

"You are quite the expert at chess, Prince Wilhelm," Elsa said as she smoothly stood, Anna doing the same from her seat beside her sister. "I should be quite happy that we're not negotiating based on your prowess with this game."

Wilhelm matched their moves, standing as well. "Planning ahead and taking different scenarios into consideration are useful skills in any arena, Your Majesty," he said, smiling proudly as he did so.

"Yes, well, we can finalize our talks tomorrow," Elsa said, politely ending their time together. "Based on our discussion today, it certainly sounds we can reach an agreement on this subject."

"Agreed," Wilhelm said. "Your Majesty, Your Highness," he said, then he turned and walked out of the room.

Anna and Elsa watched him leave before looking around the room. "Did he seem really stuck up to you?" Anna asked her sister.

"He seemed like an ass," Elsa replied flatly. "He drug out the ending to that last match. He had me beat, but he skipped at least two opportunities to end the game."

"Why would he do that?" Anna asked, confused.

Elsa took in a deep breath and sighed. "I acted like I didn't see the opportunities, but I'm not sure if that made things better or worse. I think he was trying to goad me, to see if he could provoke some kind of reaction from me."

"Not the best course of action when dealing with someone who could freeze you solid."

"Right, and he seemed... almost smug about it. Like he was sure I wouldn't, or couldn't, hurt him."

Anna gave her sister a hug, careful to keep her hands around Elsa's shoulders and not drift downward. "Maybe he's talked to enough people around Arendelle to learn that you're really a good person who doesn't like to hurt others."

"I'm afraid you're right," Elsa said sadly.

Anna turned to look at her sister. "What's wrong, Elsa?" she asked, concerned about her sister's melancholy tone of voice.

Elsa smiled at Anna's expression of curiosity mixed with innocence. "Oh, Anna..." she said warmly. "Sometimes the _last_ thing you want is for people to think you're too kind, or too forgiving. Because there are people out there who take advantage of others like that, those who are too afraid or too passive to stand up to them. That's part of the challenge of being a ruler, to balance being kind and loving toward your people with being frightening enough to keep those who would do them harm far away."

"Well, then, I suppose you'll have to work on becoming more fearsome, won't you?"

"I suppose," Elsa replied, her gaze drifting down to the chessboard and the massacre reflected thereon, with only a single white piece left standing.

The morning of the fourth day of the grand reception began with Queen Elsa addressing the guests from her balcony on the second floor. All the guests had assembled in the courtyard for her surprise announcement, and no one was entirely sure what she was going to say. When Elsa and Anna both stepped out onto the balcony, cheers and whistles broke out throughout the crowd.

"I wanted to thank each of you and your countries for joining us here over these last four days," Elsa began, raising her voice to make sure she could be heard throughout the courtyard. "We have made new friends, rekindled old friendships, and built bridges between our various countries. My sister and I have met many of you seeking our hands in marriage..." She trailed off, turning to look at Anna, who grinned in return before Elsa turned to face the gathering below once again.

"And we have made our choices as to whom we will marry," Elsa said, drawing gasps and creating a buzz of conversation. "As such, we would like everyone to spend these last two days enjoying each other's company, and without any spirit of competition or rivalry. We will notify everyone of our selections individually over the next week, so everyone may receive the news privately." _And hopefully emotions will have cooled off by the time everyone crafts their replies, _she thought grimly_._

The crowd cheered as Elsa and Anna joined hands and waved to the crowd below before turning and walking back into their chambers.

"Well, that went nicely!" Anna said, turning and walking backwards to their bed.

"Yes, but remember none of them have been rejected yet," Elsa replied, glumly. "Plenty of time for them to get offended at being declined, especially when they find out that we're getting married to each other."

"But wouldn't it be almost like taking the pressure off them, in a way? It's not like we're picking two of them over the others, we're saying that _none_ of them could compete with how we feel about each other."

Elsa stopped at the wardrobe to pick out a cloak for the day. "Some of them will probably see it that way, yes," she said. "However, others will likely see it as more of a farce, that we never really considered any of them as suitors and were only putting on this reception as a show."

Anna stretched back out on the freshly made bed. "Which we were, to be fair."

Elsa turned to look at her sister sprawled out on the bed. "If Ygrit or Idunn saw you messing up that bed, they wouldn't be very happy."

"Probably not," Anna agreed, lazily kicking her feet back and forth in the air above the bed. "What are you doing today?"

"I think I'll freeze one of the lakes long enough to do some skating. Nothing puts people in a more humble mood than falling on their butts. Repeatedly."

"I'm going to take some of them up into the mountains to do some sledding. Skiing would be fun, but too much chance of someone getting really hurt."

Elsa nodded. "That's a good idea. Let the boys burn off some energy." She turned to look at Anna. "Make sure you wear long sleeves and a cloak."

Anna stuck her tongue out at her sister. "I get hot that way now!" she said. "I can't just cool myself off like you can."

"Maybe not, but I don't want everyone learning that you're immune to the cold, either," Elsa said, a touch of frustration in her voice.

"Why? What difference could that possibly make?"

Elsa could tell that Anna was getting irritated due to her cute face darkening. "Fine, but at least _act_ like you need a coat or a cloak for a bit. You can make a point of giving it to someone else who's obviously cold; that'll give you a reason to get rid of it."

"And I really don't like that Wilhelm guy. He gives me the creeps, the way he just sort of watches everything you and I do."

Elsa walked over to the bed, where she sat down next to Anna. "Agreed. However, today I'll make an offer to him, and he'll leave to go back to the Southern Isles."

Anna looked up at Elsa, smiling uncontrollably at the sight of her sister's bright blue eyes looking down at her. "What are you asking for?" she asked quietly.

Elsa sighed, despite the joy having Anna with her produced. "I'm going to ask for some of their trade routes, including maps and temporary services of some guides to instruct our crews, more generous trade terms for our goods and their support in the event of war with another country."

Anna reached up and lightly ran the tip of her index finger down Elsa's nose, giggling when Elsa nearly sneezed. "Do you really think it'll come to that, Elsa? War? Over us being together?"

"I don't know," Elsa admitted. "But it's possible. Look at Ruthenia, and what the church of Glavadia did there."

"Right, but that was because the Emperor directly challenged them, wasn't it?" Anna replied.

"Yes, very good, Anna," Elsa said, giving her sister a light kiss on the lips as a reward. However, Anna grabbed her and made the kiss deeper, something that Elsa didn't exactly fight. She did, however, pull back slightly once they parted lips, putting a half-joking frown on Anna's pink lips. "But that whole situation developed over Glavadia's refusal to sanction the marriage of Princesza Ekaterina—whom you met yesterday, in fact. The church wanted her to marry a noble more receptive to their policy of one supreme god, but she went ahead and married the man she was in love with."

"And the church started a civil war, essentially."

"Correct. A very bloody, costly war for Ruthenia. While the church lost a few clergy and some of their soldiers, by far the majority of deaths were simple Ruthenians."

Anna considered that for a few minutes, content to hold Elsa next to her as she thought. "Whatever happened to Ekaterina's husband?" she finally asked.

Elsa's smile dampened notably. "He died during the war. She never remarried."

"Njord's waves," Anna swore softly. "So she won the war and threw the church out of her country, but she lost the one she loved."

Elsa looked back down at Anna and nodded sadly.

"I don't like that story," Anna said as she sat up and hugged Elsa. "That story sucks, in fact."

"Yes, it does," Elsa agreed, rubbing her sister's back gently. "But it's a story we can't forget. She was caught between her love, her kingdom and her responsibility to her people, and she couldn't have all three."

"The rock trolls said something to me the day we kissed," Anna said suddenly. Elsa tried to turn to look at her, but Anna held tightly, not letting her go. "I went to ask them about, well, us. If you really were my true love and I yours."

"And did they say yes?" Elsa asked, her smile not visible but evident by the tone of her voice.

"Well, duh. Anyway, they said to me that whether we chose to embrace our love or reject it, either path came with consequences."

Elsa kissed the side of Anna's neck, pushing away her copper hair to reach her lightly freckled skin. "Very true," she said between kisses. She was enjoying the humming sound her sister was making from deep within her small chest quite a bit, and it was only with great effort that she remembered the point she had been making previously. "Hopefully we can avoid being put in that same no-win situation Ekaterina found herself in."

Anna let herself slowly fall back onto the bed, pulling Elsa down with her. "I can live with the consequences of our love," she said. "No matter what it brings."

Elsa claimed more kisses from her younger sister as she began to undo the laces on the front of Anna's dress while Anna's hands moved down to Elsa's waist. "So can I, my love. So can I."

"What about that jerk Wilhelm?"

Elsa stopped what she was doing. "Do you really just bring him up while we're fooling around?" she asked incredulously.

"Well, aren't you meeting with him soon or something? And you really didn't have to stop what you were doing."

Elsa's hands returned to the unlacing as her lips resumed kissing Anna's smiling, soft lips. "He can wait, because, dear sister, I am with you right now, and _nothing_ in this kingdom is more important than making love to you."

Anna giggled as Elsa began tugging her dress off, and the two young women quickly lost themselves in each other.

Downstairs, Prince Wilhelm of the Southern Isles waited, rather impatiently. He had already made up his mind as to how he was going to handle this naive queen and her sister, but their obvious dislike of him and his home fueled his resentment for them even more. Hans had gone off half-cocked with his stupid plan, and it was only through his absurd luck that he had very nearly succeeded in usurping this backwards kingdom. But luck was for fools and children, and Wilhelm would need none of it to take Arendelle, only patience and strategy. Of those he had more than enough.

**Author's Afterword:** Well, that went sort of fast. Next chapter brings us the REAL announcement, as well as Arendelle's reaction. See you soon!


	6. Chapter 6: The Queen's Speech

**Author's Note:** This one's going to be long. Consider yourselves warned. And my Winamp has made it 3-for-3 on chapter music. I love this song, and it's perfect for this chapter. If anyone speaks Russian and can translate what Yulia is saying on the telephone, I'd love to know. It'll probably make me cry, but that's okay. "Stars" usually does make me cry. It was nice to see Lena and Yulia during the Olympics opening ceremony; they were possibly the last people I expected to see after all the recent anti-gay sentiment in Russia, but it really lifted my spirits to see them performing again, even it was just a one-time thing. I choose to take it as a good sign.

Cover Art for the story is by the incredibly talented Trixdraws from DeviantArt. Thank you again, Trix!

_Here are my standard disclaimers_: I make no claims on any of Disney's trademarks or copyrights, and no infringement is intended on them or those of any other artist or publication mentioned. Be forewarned that this story most certainly will contain femslash. If love and affection between two consenting young adults of the same sex bothers you, I suggest you turn right around and find something else to read. Keep any flames to yourself and remember that what our world needs now is more love and acceptance, not more hate. Reviews are always welcomed and appreciated! Some of the themes (well, one theme in particular, really) might make readers uncomfortable. I understand that. If you really don't like it, please stop reading and walk away from this story. I promise I won't be offended.

This chapter is dedicated to the late Harold Ramis, who starred and/or directed in more of my favorite movies than I could count. Thank you for helping shape my childhood and adolescence with humor, wit, intelligence, sass and style. You'll always be one of my heroes.

**Feel, Don't Conceal**

by Jo K.

Chapter 6: The Queen's Speech

_How did we ever go this far_

_You touch my hand and start the car_

_And for the first time in my life, I'm crying_

_Are we in space, do we belong_

_Some place where no one calls it wrong_

_And like the stars we burn away the miles_

-Tatu, "Stars"

As dawn broke outside, Anna slowly opened her eyes. She slowly looked around the room she and Elsa now shared, then she turned to look at her older sister sleeping next to her. Anna carefully shifted on the bed, folding her arms in front of her and resting her chin on them as she watched Elsa sleep. Elsa was always elegantly beautiful, but in sleep she had a calm, a peace she never fully allowed herself during the hours she was awake.

Anna smirked to herself. Well, _almost_ never allowed herself. During the moments when they were making love or even just lying together in bed, she saw Elsa allow herself to relax and stop being the Queen of Arendelle; for an all-too-brief time, she was simply Anna's lover and sister. Without thinking, Anna sighed slightly, but with her position, her breath went directly into Elsa's face.

Elsa's nose twitched slightly at the tickling sensation, then her face contorted into a most unladylike expression of annoyance before slowly opening her bright blue eyes. Anna managed to not laugh at her sister's awkward awakening, but her expression did convey a great deal of amusement.

"What did you do?" Elsa asked, her voice entirely deadpan.

"I was just looking at you," Anna said truthfully. "You always look so peaceful when you're asleep."

Elsa rolled onto her side and rubbed her eyes slightly, pretending to be unaware of the view she was giving Anna of her chest and abdomen. It only took a few seconds before she felt Anna's warm mouth on her right breast, sucking with just the perfect amount of pressure that Anna somehow got right every time. "Mmmm," Elsa purred, putting her left hand behind Anna's head and holding her sister tightly to her breast. "I assure you, that peaceful look is a very new development," she said, lightly gasping when she felt Anna's teeth delicately tease her nipple. "In fact, it just started when _you_ started sleeping with me." She smiled as Anna moved to her other breast, rolling fully onto her back to give her sister a more comfortable position. "I hope that's not a coincidence," she said teasingly.

Anna lifted her head to look Elsa in the face, releasing her left nipple with a soft, wet pop that sent a shiver down Elsa's spine into her legs. "It's not a coincidence," Anna said with a grin, brushing a large piece of her cinnamon hair behind her left ear. "I'm that good."

"I'll say you are," Elsa said with a matching smile. "I think I'll keep you."

"You better," Anna said as she slid her body down Elsa's chest, trailing her tongue down Elsa's midline until she reached her belly button, which she gave a gentle lick. "Did you notice that one girl from Agrabah at the hot springs the other day?" she asked as she carefully examined Elsa's navel.

"You absolutely better not have been checking out other women when they're naked," Elsa said with a notably serious voice.

"Well, I wasn't. Not really."

"You sound _so_ convincing."

Anna giggled before giving Elsa's belly button another lick, sparking a shudder from her older sister. "What I was talking about, Queen Jealous, was how she had her belly button pierced, with that charm dangling from it."

Elsa _had_ noticed that, in fact. "That was cute, in an odd way. Why? Are you thinking about doing it?" She lifted her head up to see Anna grinning back at her, her lips now considerably lower than Elsa's navel.

"Maybe," Anna replied teasingly. "Or maybe I'll talk you into doing it. It looked kind of hot."

"I think that would be a most unqueenly thing to do," Elsa said, adding a slight huffiness to her voice.

Anna slid back up in the bed, using her arms and knees to hover just above Elsa. "I'd be the only one to see it," she said. "Well, and you, of course."

"And Ygrit, and Idunn..."

"Who wouldn't tell anyone a single thing."

"And the cooks, and the gardeners..."

"Hey, who all are you planning on showing your belly off to?!"

Elsa laughed at Anna's face, just enough jealousy to be sweet without being smothering. "I only show my body off to you, my love. What Ygrit sees—well, and Idunn now—are entirely part of their jobs. Besides, you're right about them. They only have eyes for each other."

Elsa guided Anna to lie down beside her, then she turned onto her side to face her sister, who snuggled against her until they were touching along the length of their bodies. Elsa closed her eyes and relished that feeling, the intimate closeness that she had yearned for over so many years. She had never dreamed it would come from Anna, but here it was, and it was better than she had ever imagined.

The feeling of delicate fingertips walking down her bare ribs made Elsa shiver, and she opened her eyes back up to find Anna staring lovingly into her eyes. "I had Kai take me down to their room in the servants' quarters yesterday, when they had gone into the the market. It's small, but they've decorated it with flowers and embroidery that one or maybe both of them has done."

"Idunn does it," Anna said. "I've watched her knit them. She's quite good at it, but she gets embarrassed if anyone compliments her on it."

"They also have a drawing on the back of their door, where no one can see it unless they're in the room with the door closed. It's a drawing of them, sitting by the fjord, watching the sunset."

"That's so sweet," Anna said, her eyes sparkling at these new revelations. "Are their beds pushed together?"

"No," Elsa said with a small smile, "But there are very slight scratches on the floor where they probably push them together at night. They've covered them up with quilts on the floor, likely to mask the noise from moving them as well."

Anna tapped her fingers on the curve of Elsa's hip as she thought. "Do you think we should give them a room on the third floor? Or maybe even down the hall from us?"

Elsa shook her head. "I don't think they'd take it. But I'll ask them."

"But why wouldn't they take it?" asked Anna. "I mean, it'd be a bigger room, they'd be closer to us, and it'd let them know how much we appreciate them."

Elsa kissed Anna on the tip of her short nose. "Yes, but what they have right now, my love, is _theirs_. It's something they've built together, just the two of them, and they might not want to give that up, even for better chambers or more convenience." She smiled at Anna visibly working through that idea in her head. "And something tells me they already know how much we appreciate them."

"Well, I still want to do something sweet for them," Anna said, folding her arms across her bare chest as she rolled onto her back.

"Then you think about that, and let me know what you come up with. I think they certainly deserve something in reward for their years of service to us."

"Deal," Anna said with a smile and teal eyes flashing. Her eyes continued to fascinate Elsa, as they could appear as a soft green, a warm teal or even a pale blue depending on the lighting. At times Elsa wondered if the color might even change with Anna's moods, once famously mercurial but now much more positive and happy. _She's happier because we're together. I make her happy. ME. Despite hurting her so many times, I make her happy, and I can never let myself forget just how fortunate I truly am._

"Are you glad all our guests are gone?" Anna asked, rolling onto her chest and playfully bumping against Elsa's hip, the skin on skin contact sending a thrill through both of them again.

"Freya's boar, yes!" Elsa said, even allowing the hint of a girlish squeal to creep into her voice. "I know that all the money they brought in was wonderful for Arendelle, but I was _so_ tired of having to entertain everyone. I told Ygrit to wait a few days, then mail out our letters to the suitors."

"The rejection letters!" Anna said with a soft squeal, getting a fluffy pillow in the face from her sister. She tossed the pillow over her head, then said, "Well, that's what they are!"

"Yes, but we're not supposed to be so happy about it," Elsa replied.

"Pffft!" Anna sputtered, spraying Elsa's face and chest with flecks of saliva. "I'm _ridiculously_ happy about it!"

Elsa wiped the tiny spots of moisture off her face and upper chest, giving Anna a stern look as she did so. "Anna," she said slowly. "That was gross."

Anna laughed, a deep, rich laugh which took Elsa's gruff facade and stomped it into small, quivering pieces of debris. And then, before Elsa could properly craft a response to her sister's unfair tactics, Anna quickly rolled over and wrapped her arms around Elsa, kissing her deeply and fiercely to make her swoon. It took Elsa a few seconds to open her eyes after Anna ended the kiss; when she did open her eyes at last, Anna said, "You need me to pop that little bubble of queenliness you have sometimes. Just like sometimes I need you to remind me that responsibility, manners and planning ahead can be really," pausing for a brief kiss, "really," another kiss, "_really_ sexy."

Elsa was practicing those surprisingly sexy skills during a meeting of the royal court later that day when Ygrit quietly handed her a note, thankfully shifting her focus away from the discussion about the upcoming sea voyages to test the trade routes the Southern Isles would be providing soon. As she read the note, she realized why Anna had excused herself from the session a short time ago. She smiled as she refolded the note and handed it back to Ygrit. "Ladies, gentlemen," she said as she stood, prompting everyone in the council room to do the same. "We can finish this discussion tomorrow morning. I have just been informed of a situation which requires my personal intervention. You are excused."

Without waiting for the room to clear, Elsa stepped down from her throne and hurried out one of the doors leading deeper into the castle, Ygrit hot on her heels. Elsa found herself humming softly as she walked down the carpeted hallways leading to the castle's enclosed gardens. The weather was turning cooler and already many of the flowers were withering, but she was less concerned about the greenery than she was about the guests her sister was already entertaining.

She grinned as she pushed open the mostly glass doors to the gardens, her pace quickening as she saw Anna and their two visitors standing next to a large fir. "Kristoff! Olaf!" she shouted, drawing looks from them as well as her sister. "When did you get back into town?"

"Earlier today," Kristoff said, moving to hug Elsa before suddenly stopping, arms already partially extended. "I mean, earlier today, Your Majesty."

"Knock it off," Elsa said with a playful grin, stepping forward into their friend's hug. "It's Elsa to you, after everything you did for Anna and me." Feeling a very familiar and very thin pair of arms wrap around her legs, Elsa released Kristoff and knelt down. "Hello, sweet Olaf," she said, giving the small snowman a long hug. "Do you still like warm hugs?"

"Yep!" Olaf replied peppily. "And they're even better when they come from you and Anna!"

"We missed you," Elsa said. "And I bet Anna's already talked to you about being gone for so long, hasn't she?" She looked to her sister, getting a knowing smile in return. Elsa slowly stood, looking back down at Olaf, then glancing at Kristoff before giving a more direct look to Anna.

Anna understood exactly what Elsa was silently asking, and she gave her older sister a matching glance in return. _No, I haven't told them yet._

Elsa nodded. They had agreed it would be best to tell Kristoff together, in case his lingering feelings for Anna had retained sufficient potency to complicate things. "How about some lunch, then?" Elsa said pleasantly. "Anna and I wanted to tell you what my address tonight was going to cover."

"Well, everyone in town I've talked to today says it's going to be you announcing just exactly who you and Anna have agreed to marry, but nobody seems to agree on who it'll be. For either of you." He paused, unsure if it was his place to say the rest of what he was thinking. However, if he didn't say it, who else would? He clenched and then unclenched his jaw, electing to stay quiet for the moment.

As Elsa led the way back inside, Anna stepped up beside Kristoff, with Olaf distractedly following the three of them once he realized they were leaving the garden. "We wanted to let you know ahead of everyone else," Anna said with a smile. "And we really hope you agree with what we're doing. After all, it's because of you that we're still here today, and we owe you everything for that."

"Nah," Kristoff said good-naturedly. "You got me several new sleighs, a place of mine with room for Sven, and I don't think I'll ever have to pay for anything in town again. That's plenty for me." He patted Olaf on the head as they entered one of the smaller, more private dining rooms. "Plus this little guy is one of the best travel buddies ever. He's been a big help looking for any weak spots in the ice when I'm working."

"I like playing on the ice!" Olaf said. "And you make sure to keep extra noses for me, too!"

Kristoff looked a bit abashed at that. "Yeah, sometimes Sven is a little too quick for him," he admitted. "So I make sure to keep a few extra carrots in my bags."

Elsa and Anna both snickered at that image as everyone took their richly upholstered and lacquered seats. Olaf simply hopped up on a plain wooden chair the dining room attendants brought in for his use. There was a brief hesitation as the man and woman tried to decide whether to prepare a place setting for Olaf or not, but they eventually decided to lay out a setting for him just like everyone else, getting a happy little squeal from the small snowman.

Elsa looked over to the side of the room, catching Ygrit's eye. Elsa smiled and slowly nodded. The dark-haired Ygrit nodded in return, then whispered briefly into Idunn's ear. The two of them followed the two attendants out of the dining room into the kitchen, where they explained to them that Ygrit and Idunn would assume the duties of serving the lunch. While Elsa knew that some of the castle staff suspected she and Anna had become lovers, suspicion was one thing, while confirmation was another. They would tell the castle staff soon enough, but Elsa wanted it to be done on their terms and all at once. She was speaking with all of them this evening, immediately before her general address to Arendelle. And despite all she had been through, despite all Anna had been through, Elsa was still afraid at what reaction they would receive.

Anna had reassured her that regardless of Arendelle's reaction, their relationship was unbreakable. Elsa was already certain of that; if Ragnarok came in the next hour, Anna would be standing right beside her, holding her hand as they faced it together. But the thought of Arendelle, of their citizens, hating them or being disgusted by the two sisters being in love was an enormous worry for the queen. Arendelle was Elsa's responsibility, the greatest duty their parents had left her and, by extension, Anna. Doing anything to hurt their home or even jeopardize their status as the ruling family would be devastating to Elsa, doubly so since it would also cost Anna her home as well. Even with the comforting acceptance they had already received from their cousin Rapunzel and from their handmaidens Ygrit and Idunn, Elsa still dreaded this address tonight, because once the words left her lips, there could be no taking them back. Not ever.

Feeling Anna's gentle but strong fingers grasp her wrist pulled Elsa's attention back to the real world. "Sorry," Elsa said to her sister, seeing an understanding smile on her cute face. She loved the way Anna's freckles moved when she smiled; it was one of her favorite things about her sister, although admittedly she did have a very long list of favorite things about Anna.

"It's okay," Anna replied softly. "It's Kristoff and Olaf. They're going to understand."

Elsa glanced over at their two guests. Kristoff was now attentively listening, his expression carefully neutral but barely masking his internal conflict. Olaf was completely lost in examining the various pieces of silverware in front of him, talking quietly to himself as he lifted each one and inspected it carefully. "I hope so," Elsa said sadly. They had few enough friends. Losing even one would be sorely painful. Kristoff looked nervous, even more so than Elsa had been expecting. _I really, really hope he isn't still harboring some romantic feelings for Anna, because if so, this could get even—_

"Okay, this is killing me not saying it, so I'm just going to," he said, looking up at Elsa.

_Bifrost, take me away. _

"Why..." he began, only to stop. "Why are you two so blasted _eager_ to rush out and get married?"

_What?_ Elsa looked up, expecting an entirely different question. "I'm sorry, what?"

"I mean, seriously! Anna—and please don't get mad at me for saying this, because it's true—Anna, just over a month ago you were hurrying to get married to some guy you'd barely met, and all Hel broke loose because of that!"

Elsa turned to look at Anna, afraid of seeing her sister's hurt face. However, instead of being distraught or insulted, Anna was surprisingly calm. Her sister's teal eyes looked back at Elsa, and a small grin spread across Anna's face as she shrugged. "If the shoe fits..." she said calmly. "He's not wrong."

"And now it's like not only did Anna not learn anything from her mistake, now _you're_ ready to do the same damned thing!" Kristoff said, his voice rising as he pointed his finger at Elsa angrily. "I thought you two had learned something from all this—"

Elsa looked over Kristoff's shoulder. It looked like Ygrit was about to smash the pitcher of water she was carrying into the back of Kristoff's head. Elsa caught her eyes and gave her a stern glare, freezing the young girl in her steps.

"—but no, now you're both going to do something stupid, and one of you, probably Anna, is going to be leaving the country, and you're both going to be separated again—"

"We're marrying each other," Elsa said.

"—and then you'll both be devastated at being apart and..." Kristoff's voice trailed off as his mind registered what his ears had heard. _"What?"_

"She said, we're marrying each other," Anna said, reaching the short distance between her and her sister to take Elsa's hand. "Neither of us is going anywhere. We're not marrying people we just barely met." She looked at Elsa and was momentarily unable to return her gaze to Kristoff's surprised face as she looked into her sister's bright blue eyes. "We're each marrying the one we love. Our true love."

"We've learned that we need to be together," Elsa said, managing to look away from Anna's adorable face and intense eyes and return her gaze to Kristoff, freeing her sister to do the same. "And we've learned that it's okay for us to be in love with each other. We know that not everyone is going to understand it or even accept it, but we really hope you do."

It was Olaf's high-pitched voice that broke the silence. "So both of you are staying here? And you're staying together?"

"Yes," Elsa and Anna said, just a split-second apart.

"Yay!" the little snowman shouted. "Is dinner over? I've never had dinner before, so I don't know when it's over."

Anna and Elsa both started laughing, with Kristoff following just moments later. "No, Olaf," Elsa said. "Dinner's not over yet. We haven't even eaten."

"Oh," Olaf said, considering her words. Abruptly he smiled again. "Yay! Dinner's not over yet!"

Elsa turned to look at Anna again, relishing the sight of her sister laughing happily.

"Thank you," Anna said, squeezing Elsa's hand. "Thank you again for making him."

Elsa found it hard to say anything due to the emotion her sister's words triggered. _ I wanted so badly to make you happy, to recapture what we had together, that I created him without even knowing it. I had pushed everything and everyone away, but inside I was miserable, longing for your company in ways I never understood. Not until five days ago._ She held her tears in, just barely, but she managed to say, "You're welcome."

Elsa turned to look at Kristoff, his face still smiling with laughter. "We wanted you to know before we told everyone else, Kristoff. Like I said, it was because of you that we're both still here today, and we both consider you a very dear friend."

"One of the dearest," Anna added, using her free left hand to reach across the table and take Kristoff's right hand. "And we hope you'll always be our friend. Even we do something entirely off the wall like marrying each other."

Kristoff inverted his hand and politely returned the squeeze to Anna. "Hey, I just wanted to make sure you two stay together. This works just fine. Maybe even better than not getting married at all."

"Hopefully you'll still be saying that after the address tonight," said Elsa.

"Elsa, you're going to do fine," Kristoff said. "You're the queen. You can do whatever you want."

"I keep telling her that she's sacrificed almost her whole life for this country," Anna said. "She's allowed to do something to make herself happy."

Elsa smiled at Anna as Idunn began bringing out the lunch plates. "It's just a fortunate coincidence that it'll make you happy too, right?"

"You better believe it," Anna said cheerily. "Plus I'm not going to try to steal the country out from under you." The phrase _under you_ did bring some thoughts to the forefront of Anna's mind, but she politely kept them to herself for the time being.

"Well, I'll check back in with you two before long. Olaf, Sven and I are heading out to Ruthenia for a week or two. It's getting close to when some of their northern inlets begin to freeze, and I've got some ideas to try to prevent that."

"When are you leaving?" Anna asked in between bites of roasted squash and whitefish, both baked and fried.

"Right after lunch. We just had to swing back by to check on the cottage and get some more supplies. Not that my assistant here needs much besides his little snow cloud when it's warm, but Sven and I need to make sure we don't starve."

Elsa motioned to Ygrit, silently thankful she stopped the sweet but fiery girl from bashing Kristoff's brains out earlier. "Ygrit, once we're done with lunch, please make sure Kristoff gets whatever supplies he needs from our stores."

"Yes, Your Majesty," Ygrit said with a polite nod. "Idunn and I have some business in that part of the castle as well, so we'll take care of it right away."

Lunch passed quickly, and after goodbyes and hugs Kristoff and Olaf were on their way to the castle storerooms with the two handmaidens, while Anna and Elsa returned to their rooms. A quick nap refreshed the two of them, and a stroll through the castle gardens lifted their spirits. As they walked through the multicolored rows of tulips, still blooming despite the onset of autumn, Anna held tightly to Elsa, allowing her grip—and her gaze—to linger more obviously on her sister than she normally did. It was obvious she wasn't as worried about Arendelle's reaction as Elsa was, and Elsa couldn't decide whether to envy her or caution her for that. But that was just Anna, never one to waste time worrying about something when it was so much more efficient to just go ahead and do it. The most caution Elsa had ever seen her little sister display had been in their courtship, and that spoke volumes to Elsa about just how much Anna valued their relationship.

And soon, very soon, that relationship would take another step forward. Elsa hadn't shared all of her plans with Anna just yet on that front. She was determined that they would have a true, equal relationship once they were married, regardless of which of them had been born first; she just hadn't figured out all the details yet.

The chiming of a clock drew their attention. Anna lifted her head from where she had rested it against Elsa's shoulder, stretching her neck slightly in the other direction. "Sorry," she said with a quick look at her sister. "I just get lost in the moment when you're holding me."

Elsa smiled back. "I know the feeling, little sister. And it's a wonderful moment to get lost in."

"Yep," replied Anna as she hugged more tightly to her sister. "You ready to go tell the castle staff?"

Elsa's face became slightly doubtful. "You mean there are some people who aren't in on the rumors?" she asked flatly.

Anna grinned. "Well, there's probably one or two. But we should go ahead and confirm things so they can move on to other rumors."

"Agreed," Elsa said softly.

As they approached the door, one of the castle staff opened it for them, letting them enter. His heavy jacket reminded Elsa that the weather definitely was turning colder; she and Anna hadn't noticed, conducting their slow walk through the garden with just their simple dresses on, not even wearing shoes. Elsa turned to the butler and thanked him, dismissing him to go to the ballroom with everyone else.

She and Anna stood in the hall, dreading yet eager for the reaction awaiting them. Some of the castle staff had been here since before they were born. Even more had watched the girls grow up to become the young women they were today. Of course Elsa and Anna wanted their validation, their acceptance of their full relationship. Of course they were terrified at the possibility of rejection by those they worked with and lived with.

"I'm nervous," Anna said, a bit unnecessarily. Elsa could feel her heart pounding through their embrace.

"So am I," Elsa said. "But we still have to do this. And once it's done, there'll be no need to hide any part of our lives ever again."

Anna looked up at her older sister and nodded. "Then let's do it," she said firmly.

They entered the ballroom together; all of the castle staff stood, except for the handful of guards absent due to manning their stations at the gates. There were over three hundred present, from boy pages and girl handmaidens to the eldest stablehands and seamstresses. They remained standing as Elsa and Anna took their seats in front of the assembly, both chairs arranged so that they were touching, and the two sisters held hands as they sat. It was oddly incongruous, the formal assembly of the staff, most wearing their uniforms, facing Anna and Elsa wearing simple dresses, no shoes, not a throne in sight. However, Elsa had wanted it to seem as informal as such an assembly could be; as everyone else took their seats again, she hoped it didn't feel too ridiculous.

"Thank you, all of you, for everything you have done for my sister, for me, and for our family over the years," Elsa said. "Anna and I felt you deserved to know what we have decided about whom each of us will marry." She paused briefly before continuing, "We already suspect this won't be news to some of you, perhaps many of you, but it is unusual enough to warrant some explanation."

A murmur briefly began through the rear of the ballroom, but it was shushed almost immediately after it started. Elsa waited to let it die out completely before continuing.

"Anna and I are in love with each other," Elsa said calmly. "She has asked me to marry her, and I have accepted."

Total silence held throughout the ballroom.

Elsa hesitated, seeking some sort of reaction from the crowd. However, the first voice to speak came from beside her, not in front of her.

"We realize that this is shocking to some of you," Anna said, "but Elsa and I have come to this realization over the last several weeks." She stood, but she did not release Elsa's hand. "Though surprising even to us, the love Elsa and I have for each other is very real, real enough to break the curse of the Eternal Winter... and to bring the frozen back to life, which many of you personally witnessed."

Now the murmurs started again, louder than the first time.

"I will announcing our engagement to Arendelle in a few minutes," Elsa said as she slowly stood. "We felt all of you deserved to know first. We know you might not understand, but please believe that Anna and I truly want to be together. We hope that each of you will continue your service to our family and to us, but if any of you feel you cannot continue to work here, you may leave without fear of reprisal or retribution."

Everyone remained seated, which caused Elsa's heart to race even harder. Despite Anna's presence beside her, the air turned frigid and snow began to fall in the ballroom. Elsa closed her eyes and tried to concentrate to dispel the chill winds beginning to blow through the large room, but the ringing in her ears and pounding heartbeat in her throat made concentration impossible despite her efforts.

"Look," whispered Anna, startling Elsa into opening her eyes.

As the snow continued to fall, Ygrit and Idunn were already standing; as Elsa watched the rest of the handmaidens, nearly twenty strong, stood. They were followed by Kai and Gerda, then by the valets, butlers and maids they supervised. The off-duty guards stood, followed by the groundskeepers, then the craftsmen and dressmakers and seamstresses, then the cooks and kitchen staff, then the servers and laborers.

Elsa began to cry softly. The first person she saw walk out of the ballroom sent a stab of pain through her heart, though, and there were several others who also chose to leave. She didn't recognize any of them immediately, but the rejection still stung. However, the majority of their staff remained standing, and the gesture buoyed Elsa's spirit tremendously.

Kai looked around, taking note of those empty spaces scattered among the gathering as well as those standing proudly in place before speaking in his calm voice. "Your Majesty, Your Highness, it is not our place to pass judgment on either of you. It has been our duty and our honor to serve your family, and we will continue to do so to the best of our abilities. Beyond our duties," he hesitated slightly before continuing, "for several of us, we were there to see what the two of you had to endure growing up and how it hurt you both terribly." He took a moment to consider his words and refine his composure. "Your Majesty, Your Highness, we... care about you both. We want you to be happy."

As applause broke out, spreading through the ballroom with the speed of a hungry fire, Elsa and Anna held each other tightly, shaking, crying and laughing in the safety of each other's arms.

It took several minutes for Elsa and Anna to recover emotionally before Elsa felt ready to address their country. They had moved into their parents' old chambers on the third floor, mainly for the elevated balcony which made for an ideal platform to address large gatherings outside the castle. Elsa had made one of her now-signature gowns, this one a frosty white that looked nearly silver, and Anna had put on one of her more typical long-sleeved embroidered dresses, this one with light orchid sleeves and tan panels. Cautiously Anna took a peek off the balcony, causing a buzz to spread through the huge crowd below.

"How many are out there?" Elsa asked when she saw Anna's shocked face turn back into the room where Elsa was sitting.

"Well, more than I've ever seen," Anna said.

"More than the coronation?" Elsa asked incredulously.

Anna nodded. "Oh yeah."

Elsa stood suddenly, quick enough to make Anna jump. "What if I can't do this?" she asked hurriedly. "What if I really can't do this, Anna?"

Anna gently gripped her sister's arms as she looked into her sapphire eyes. "You _can_ do this, Elsa. And do you know why you can do this?" Without waiting for an answer, she said, "Because you're strong, because you're brave, and because you're not alone." She smiled. "You're not ever going to be alone again, no matter what happens." She tugged at the slightly plunging neckline of Elsa's gown, making sure it was perfectly straight, then she gently ran her hand over it, resting her hand on Elsa's chest over her heart. "You're a great queen, and it should be Arendelle worrying about being good enough for _you_."

Elsa kissed Anna. "For us, you mean," she whispered. Anna hugged her, resting her head against Elsa's neck and collarbone as they held each other tightly. "I love you, Anna. More than anything."

"And I love you more than anything, too, Elsa," Anna replied.

Elsa started to walk to the balcony, but she stopped and extended her right hand. "You're coming with me," she said to Anna.

"Elsa, you're the queen. I'm just the princess."

"The princess whom I'm going to marry," Elsa replied smoothly. "You deserve to stand up here with me. I _want_ you to stand with me, Anna."

Anna stepped forward slowly and took her sister's hand. "Then I'll be with you," she said with a caring smile as she kissed Elsa's warm lips.

Despite Elsa's powers and what others thought, Elsa's skin was not always cold. In fact, Anna thought she was warmer than just about anyone she had ever known. But Anna also understood the connection Elsa's powers had to all strong emotions, with fear and anger particularly making them run wild and love granting her sister precise control over them. In the past, on the rare occasions when others had to touch Elsa, fear had always been present on her part, and Elsa's powers had frequently manifested despite her attempts to control them. Now, though, those involuntary manifestations of her powers were much rarer and short-lived, letting Elsa's natural body warmth run free, to Anna's delight.

Together the two of them walked out onto the large balcony, drawing cheers from the truly enormous crowd gathered in the field just outside the castle wall. The balcony did not extend over the castle wall, but it came closer to it than at any other point of the castle. The viewing angle wasn't ideal, but the wall of this particular balcony was short enough to permit a reasonably good view of those standing on it, and almost all those in attendance were able to clearly see their queen and their princess as they stood and waved to the crowd, neither relinquishing the other's hand.

After several minutes of applause and cheering, eventually taking the form of _"EL-SA! AN-NA!"_ repeated over and over, Elsa used her free hand to gesture for the crowd to quieten down, which they did quickly.

"Greetings to Arendelle!" Elsa said loudly, speaking from her chest, not her throat, to try and use her voice most efficiently.

"Hi!" Anna yelled, not quite as refined a public speaker as her sister but still drawing another round of cheers.

Elsa smiled at the recognition her sister received, giving Anna's hand a gentle squeeze before she turned back to the crowd. "Tonight, my sister and I wish to share with you exactly why we are so very happy." She had to pause for another swell of applause and cheers, which she was glad to do. "Over the past week, Arendelle has played the gracious host to noble families from countries both near and far. You have been wonderful hosts, and those visitors will surely return to their homes with the knowledge of Arendelle's beauty, its accomplishments, and its friendliness."

She paused to let the crowd cheer. The citizens of Arendelle's eponymous capital had truly done a wonderful job dealing with the influx of visitors, and they deserved to be recognized for their accomplishments. Once the cheers had subsided, Elsa continued.

"Tonight my sister and I will tell you whom we have decided to marry," she said. "We know that not everyone will understand our decision, and likely some of you will not agree with it, but ultimately it is our decision." She took a deep breath to steady herself before continuing.

"I could say that I chose the person whom I have decided to marry because I know I can trust this person with Arendelle's future. I could say that I chose to marry this person because I know I will be treated well, respected at all times, and loved without question. I could say that I chose to marry this person because of the strong friendship we have formed, because we get along well and adore each other's company. I could also say that I chose this person because I know this person will help me become a better queen, a better wife and, someday in the future, a better mother."

Elsa paused, and not a sound could be heard from the thousands of people listening below. "And while all of these things I have told you are true, none of them are truly the reason why I am marrying this person." She closed her eyes and took several breaths to try and still her nerves. She was quite convinced that had Anna not been right beside her holding her hand, an ice storm would already be savaging Arendelle City. But she focused on the warmth in her sister's small hand, drawing strength and control from the love she felt pouring into her before she opened her eyes again.

"I am marrying this person because I am in love." Despite the thunder of her heart pounding in her chest, she forced herself to take short breaths, two, then three, then four before she could form coherent words again.

"I am in love... with _her_."

As voices began to burble below, Elsa raised her voice. "WAIT!" she said firmly, pleased but still terrified when the voices hushed. "For many years while I was growing up, my father had directed me to never reveal my powers. He said that they were dangerous, and that people wouldn't understand them, that they would fear me and try to destroy me because of them. 'Conceal, don't feel,' was the phrase I had repeated to me for most of my life. I tried to follow his advice, but several weeks ago all of you saw firsthand how ineffective his idea was. His well-meaning but terrible advice nearly killed me, nearly killed Anna and very nearly destroyed all of Arendelle. It was one of his two biggest mistakes, with the other one being separating Anna and me.

"I have chosen tonight to end this foolish doctrine of 'Conceal, don't feel,' once and for all. Tonight, I will be honest with all of you here in Arendelle. Yes, I am in love with a woman. But she is not just any woman. This is a woman whom I will spend the rest of my life with, who will rule Arendelle by my side and raise a family with me. She will help lead and protect this country, and she will help defend it from those who would do us harm. This is a woman whose own love for me is deep and true, a woman who is kind, clever and trustworthy. A woman whom all of you know, whom all of you love, who loves me in return and would never betray me."

Now a distinct buzz began to spread through the crowd, notably harsher than before.

Elsa gripped Anna's hand more tightly, receiving a reciprocal squeeze in return. "It was her love that broke the curse of the frozen heart, not just upon herself but on me as well. She was the one responsible for saving all of Arendelle, and she is the one to whom I have pledged my heart, my future, my love and my life."

The buzz escalated, growing into a unsettling tone, but Elsa calmly looked over the massive crowd, refusing to turn away or flinch. "I will be marrying my true love—my sister, Princess Anna."

Anna moved to stand against Elsa, and despite the rising groundswell of discord, there was a great deal of applause and cheering that erupted through the crowd as the two sisters put their arms around each other. However, those cheers were short-lived, as the movement of people below formed into swirling eddies of unrest, flowing through the gathered thousands in a way that appeared ugly and worrisome to Elsa's and Anna's eyes. The words _incest_ and _demons_ could be heard shouted angrily in different parts of the crowd, then _evil_ and _abomination_. As they looked, they saw fighting break out in several places, while crowds separated themselves from the pockets of combat and hesitantly moved to and fro, unsure of whether to stay or flee.

"Please stop!" Elsa cried, accidentally making Anna flinch from her loud voice so close to her ear. "Please!"

There was no reply to Elsa's cries, unfortunately. Those still receptive to her words were beginning to form into larger packs which then began to overwhelm the smaller sites of fighting, driving out or subduing those spurred to angry violence by Elsa's revelation.

"Why can't you see that our love for each other changes nothing for Arendelle?!" Elsa shouted, her voice beginning to border on frantic. "We will continue to treat everyone with respect, to protect Arendelle and help it grow and prosper, as our family has done for hundreds of years!"

"Elsa," Anna said gently, increasing her grip on her sister's arm. She was beginning to fear that Elsa might actually leap over the balcony, to try and personally stop the fighting herself; she might indeed be able to traverse that distance with her powers, but Anna wasn't about to let her take that chance. "Elsa!" she said more firmly, pulling her older sister away from the balcony.

Anna looked down in time to see a figure below run toward the castle wall, then stop long enough to hurl something up toward them. She yanked on Elsa with all of her strength, pulling her older sister down before the bottle smashed against the stone wall of the balcony. When she looked in her sister's eyes, Anna's heart sunk at the terror and guilt she saw reflected in those blue eyes which had gleamed with love and joy for weeks.

"This is my fault," Elsa said, as much to herself as to Anna. "I've destroyed Arendelle by telling them the truth about us."

"NO!" Anna shouted, grabbing Elsa by the arms. "No, Elsa! You haven't destroyed anything." She lifted her head to peer over the balcony; when she saw no one in the process of throwing things at them, she stood, lifting Elsa to her feet.

As they rose and Elsa began to cry, the air grew cold almost instantly, and a biting wind began to blow. Snow formed out of the air, billowing sheets of white that began to lash out against the castle.

"Yes!" Anna said as an idea erupted, turning to look at Elsa. "Make it snow, Elsa! Dump so much snow out there that they'll have to stop fighting!"

Elsa looked at Anna, horror still frozen on her face. "But the city—"

Anna shook her head. "Don't hit the houses or the stores. Just the area around the castle, where people are fighting." She leaned in and kissed Elsa tenderly on the lips, holding the kiss for several seconds until she felt her sister's breathing slow. "You can do this, Elsa. I know you can."

Elsa stared into Anna's eyes, a dark blue-green in the dim light, for several seconds before she finally smiled bravely. She turned and stepped back to the balcony, raising her arms and hands above her head. At once the swirling winds went from blowing in all directions to blowing down and away from the castle, directing a deluge of snow onto the melee below. It was fierce enough and cold enough to make the remaining combatants scramble to their feet and flee, temporarily quelling the small riot.

"Oh sweet Freya," Elsa said as she turned to look at Anna again. "What have I done, Anna?"

"You told them the truth," Anna said, anger clear as she looked down over the fracas. Her voice rose in volume as she shouted, "And they acted like little brats throwing a temper tantrum!" She turned to look at her sister again. Elsa's face was trembling as she stood quietly, icy tears dripping down her cheeks. "Oh, Elsa, sweetheart, you can't blame yourself for their actions," Anna said as she hugged Elsa quickly, mentally kicking herself for letting herself get so angry right now. As bad as Elsa currently felt, she was going to blame herself for everything that went wrong until she was able to emotionally pull herself together; Anna knew that better than anyone, and she had inadvertently made Elsa feel worse, not better, with her injudicious words. She shushed Elsa as she led her sister back inside, letting the snowstorm fade as they walked away.

Elsa was silent other than the occasional wracked sob as she and Anna descended the stairs on the way to their rooms. Anna had her arm around Elsa to both support her sister as well as steer her, but even that only seemed to barely keep Elsa's tears in check. As they stepped onto the second floor, Idunn came running up the stairs from the ground floor.

"Help me get her into our room, Idunn," Anna said, a bit louder than she had meant.

"Yes, Your Highness," Idunn said quickly, taking Elsa's other arm to provide more support as they walked. It was a breach of protocol, but right now neither Anna or Elsa cared about such things. Together they quickly got Elsa into their bedroom; Anna held her sister tightly while Idunn tossed some pillows on a couch for them, then she helped Anna and Elsa sit together, positioned so Elsa could curl up against her sister as they stretched out on the large couch together.

"I'm so sorry, Anna," Elsa said, gasping between sobs as she cried.

"Shhh," Anna whispered, kissing Elsa's head repeatedly as she held her close. "Elsa, you did nothing wrong. You were honest and you were sincere."

"Y-your Majesty, most of the crowd was supportive of what you t-told them," Idunn bravely offered. "It was just a few who sparked the violence."

The bedroom door opening drew the attention of all three women. Ygrit stepped inside, still speaking to someone outside the door. As she came into the room, she closed the door behind her. "The royal guards have closed the castle as a precaution, Your Majesty," she said as she hurried over to the couch. "No one has attempted to enter, but Captain Ewen felt it wise to be prepared."

"Thank you, Ygrit," Anna said, looking up at the short-haired brunette. "My sister and I are lucky to have you two."

"What are we going to do, Anna?" Elsa asked, sadness in her voice.

It broke Anna's heart to hear her sister so upset. It had been bad enough when it had happened at her coronation, but it was infuriating now. She was using all the willpower she possessed to restrain her temper, but each time she felt Elsa's body convulse with sobs it grew more difficult to keep her fury inside.

She carefully pulled Elsa's crown off, handing it to Ygrit. Anna placed a kiss on Elsa's hair, then she carefully removed the hairpins holding her sister's long braid in place, followed by the ribbons holding the braid in place. Once Elsa's blonde hair was free, Anna smiled as she carefully ran her fingers through her sister's soft hair, spreading it over her chest. "We're going to love each other," Anna said warmly. "Just like we have been. It doesn't matter if Arendelle agrees with it or not. _I_ believe in us. _You_ believe in us. That's all that matters, Elsa. That's all."

"But this is our home, Anna! We have a responsibility to Arendelle, and—"

Anna stood quickly, managing to slide a surprised Elsa's head off of her chest onto the pillows somewhat smoothly as she did so. She clenched her fists as she stormed across their bedroom, walking around the bed, then along the wall, then in front of the door, circuiting the room in a furious silence. Elsa, Idunn and Ygrit all watched Anna's stride, none of them really eager to interrupt the princess when she was so angry. Anna stopped and stared into the fireplace for seconds which became minutes, still not saying a word. Finally she turned around and walked directly back over to the couch, kneeling as she gave Elsa a loving smile.

"Elsa, sweetheart, please understand that I'm not mad at you, okay? No matter what I say, I know that you were only being honest, and I know that none of this is your fault. It's the fault of the people acting like hungry wolves and pissy wolverines out there. Okay?"

Elsa nodded. Anna learned forward and kissed her on the lips, holding it for several seconds. She smiled at Elsa again, then she stood. "Now that we've got straight..." she said as she turned and walked toward the window.

"_FUCK THEM!"_ she shouted, jabbing a finger at the window. "I mean it, Elsa! FUCK. THEM." Anna's face was dark red, her chest rising and falling with the deep breaths she was taking. "You have sacrificed _everything_ for this country. You were ready to sacrifice your life for them!"

"So were you," Elsa added quietly.

"Yes, so was I!" Anna replied. "And look at how they're treating us for being honest with them! They were _rioting_ out there! Frey's balls!" She looked again to the window, as if she could somehow stop the harsh feelings of Arendelle's angry citizens with the fury of her gaze alone. "Us wanting to spend our lives with each other, as wives, as lovers, that's no concern of them at all!" She took a few steps closer to Elsa. "They don't deserve you as their queen, Elsa. If they want to act like spoiled children, then let them run this country their own damn selves! Let them see just how hard it is! We don't need them. We don't need this castle."

She knelt down beside the couch and carefully took Elsa's hand, looking into her sister's large blue eyes, now red and brimming with tears. "This isn't our home, Elsa," Anna said quietly, shaking her head as she spoke. "Not any more. Our home isn't about this room, or these walls, or even Arendelle. Our home is about where _we_ are, together. That's what matters."

Elsa looked up at the ceiling, at the carved beams she had counted endless times during her childhood. "But what about Arendelle?" she asked weakly.

"What about them?" Anna said, her voice uncharacteristically cold. "The castle will be fine. It's the most defensible place in the city. It has its own water supply, months of food and stores and will keep everyone in it safe."

"What about the rest of the country?"

"Elsa, they threw a bottle at you! Trying to hurt you, maybe kill you! I'm sorry, but I find it hard to have any sympathy for people who act like that."

Elsa looked sadly at Anna. "I don't like seeing you this angry, my love."

Anna shook her head. "I don't like _being_ this angry. I really don't. But Elsa, all you did was tell them we were in love and getting married, and they freaked out!"

Elsa managed a tenuous smile. "I guess getting married in the city square is out of the question now, huh?"

Anna stared at her sister blankly for several seconds before she started laughing, then her laughing became so intense that she had to sit down roughly before she passed out. She looked up to see Elsa grinning, despite the frozen tears on her cheeks. "That's my big sister," Anna said, holding her chest due to the sharp pains in her ribs from laughing so powerfully.

Anna turned to Idunn and Ygrit. "The castle and everyone in here survived with the gates closed for over fifteen years," she said. "I suppose it can do it again." She sighed, then turned back to Elsa. "I guess next in line for the throne would be Rapunzel, right?"

Elsa's eyes grew big as she realized what Anna was truly asking. She thought for several seconds, weighing the different options until she realized a truth that she had sworn she could never forget: nothing was more important than Anna. The man who threw the bottle at them wasn't just throwing it at Elsa. He was throwing it at Anna too. It had been a single person tonight, but who could say it wouldn't be ten tomorrow, or a thousand after that? If people in Arendelle were so crazed with anger that they were ready to hurt Anna, Elsa couldn't let that stand. And just like that, her decision was made.

She looked up at Anna and said, "That's right. 'Zel's the next in line for the throne of Arendelle. She's the closest relative without a throne of her own."

Anna nodded. "I'd be fine with her ruling Arendelle. We know she'd be good to Idunn, Ygrit and the rest of the castle staff."

Elsa stood; Anna did the same. The two sisters looked into each other's eyes, then hugged.

"Are you really okay with this?" Elsa asked, crying again.

Anna nodded before realizing Elsa couldn't really see her. "Yeah, I am. I really am. As long as I'm with you, I'm okay."

The two of them felt another set of arms wrap around them, then another. The crying doubled as Idunn and Ygrit joined the group hug, no one wanting to let go. After quite some time, the four young women separated, Ygrit and Idunn moving to one side and holding hands while Anna and Elsa did the same, facing their handmaidens. Facing their friends.

"We want you two to be Rapunzel's personal assistants," Elsa said. "Not just handmaidens anymore, although I can't think of anyone who would be better at supervising them. I'll leave 'Zel a letter telling her this."

"Thank you, Your Majesty," Ygrit and Idunn both said together.

Elsa smiled sadly. "You don't have to call me that any more, girls. I'm not going to be queen any longer."

Ygrit wiped tears from her eyes—the first time Elsa had ever seen her shed tears, she suddenly realized—before she stepped forward and knelt down on her right knee. "Your Majesty," she said with a shaky voice. "You will _always_ be my queen."

Idunn knelt beside Ygrit, not even bothering to try to arrest her tears as she spoke to Elsa, "And mine." She turned to Anna and said, "As you will always be our Princess, Your Highness. Nothing can ever change that for us. _Nothing._"

"Thank you," Elsa said, nodding as she held her right hand over her mouth, futilely trying to contain the emotions warring within her. "Thank you both for everything."

Anna carefully fell to her knees between Ygrit and Idunn, gathering them both in a tearful hug. "Thank you for being our friends, not just our handmaidens. Look out for Rapunzel. She'll need your help getting used to things, but she'll be good to you."

"She is our cousin," Elsa said, "so remember she can be hard-headed."

"You're not hard-headed," Anna said, turning to look up at Elsa.

Elsa smiled sweetly. "I never said I was."

Anna rolled her eyes, then she stood. "Okay, I'll start packing. You write that letter to 'Punzel."

"Um, Your Highness?" Idunn said, lifting her hand politely. When Anna and Elsa stopped to look at her, Idunn stood, helping Ygrit up as well. "There's, um, something you should know..."

Twenty minutes later, the four of them stood in one of the large storage rooms along the rear courtyard of the castle. Elsa and Anna were looking at a very large sleigh, loaded with crates, chests and sacks of clothing, supplies, food, water, camping gear, flints, stones, kindling, tinder, and several other things they couldn't identify without unpacking everything else.

"When in the name of Asgard did you two do all this?" Elsa asked as she walked around the sleigh. Everything had been carefully tied down after being packed tightly. It was a load that two horses would have difficulty pulling, and four horses would still have to work to pull it up a mountain. The poles and harnesses had already been positioned, only needing pack animals to be ready to leave.

"We've been working on it for the last few days, after you decided on your public speech," Idunn said. "We had hoped things would go smoothly, but w-we wanted to be prepared."

"In case it didn't," Ygrit added. "We packed the last of it right after your speech, so open that black leather box last, okay?"

Elsa nodded. "Okay. Thank you both, again." She hugged Ygrit as Anna hugged Idunn, then they traded to hug the other.

"I'll get the horses," Anna said.

"No," Elsa said, gently grabbing Anna's arm. "Horses would die up there. We're not bringing them back."

Anna looked at her sister oddly. "Uh, hate to break this to you, Elsa, but _we_ can't drag this thing up there."

Elsa smiled. "No, we can't." She raised her arms and began to concentrate. As she slowly used her hands to shape the air, ice began to crystallize in front of her, slowly taking the form of a massive horse, not very detailed but clear enough by its shape and crude features. She gently walked over to the beast, large enough that it wouldn't fit into the collar until Elsa shrunk it slightly. Once it was in position, Elsa created ice reins for it, then she and Anna fit it into position just in front of the sleigh. Elsa looked at it carefully, then she stepped back.

"Do you mind to come here for just a minute, Anna dear?" she asked.

"Sure!" Anna said, hopping off the ice horse and walking over to her sister.

"I just need a little love boost," Elsa said, a twinkle in her eye. "For a touch more control, of course."

"Of course," Anna said, smiling at the woman she loved. She stepped forward and wrapped her arms around Elsa, kissing her firmly and hotly. After several seconds of kissing, Anna leaned her head back slightly, then she quickly licked Elsa's upper lip. "That a good boost for you?" she asked teasingly.

Elsa was quivering throughout her body, so it took a few seconds before she could answer, "Oh yeah, that's perfect." She opened her eyes and looked over Anna's shoulder, raising her arms and pointing her hands at the three remaining empty harnesses. With a quick twirl of her hands, ice crystallized out of thin air, spiraling into three different places, each beneath an empty harness; in seconds three more ice horses had formed, identical copies to the first, including the tack and gear, each neatly in place in front of the sleigh.

Elsa smiled proudly as Anna turned to look behind her. "Now _that_ is really cool," Anna said, visibly impressed.

"Of course it's cool. It's ice, dear," Elsa replied.

Anna turned to look back at her older sister. "You _do_ want to have sex tonight, right?" she asked.

Elsa leaned forward and whispered in Anna's ear, causing the slightly younger woman to blush furiously. "Hop on the sleigh," Elsa said, giving Anna a light pat on her butt. Anna immediately complied.

"Don't you think people are going to see us leaving? I mean, I guess it doesn't really matter, but they might try to stop us."

Elsa looked back at her sister. "I don't think anyone is going to see a thing," she said. Seconds later, snow was swirling through the air outside the storeroom. Each second that passed saw the snow intensify until it was falling so thickly that Anna found it impossible to see the other side of the castle courtyard outside. Elsa created a set of reins for the horses, which she then snapped, setting the creatures into motion. The loud grinding of the sleigh runners stopped as soon as they left the storeroom, gliding smoothly over the thin layer of snow and ice forming.

They turned and waved goodbye to Idunn and Ygrit, who quickly closed the storeroom door to keep out the snow. Elsa created a ramp over the castle's wall; the ice beasts' hooves found easy purchase on the icy surface of the bridge as a result of Elsa's magic, pulling the sleigh over the tall castle wall with seemingly no effort at all.

"This is really pretty," Anna said as she put her arm around Elsa, holding her sister tightly as she directed the icy team up the path to the North Mountain. "You do know where you're going, right?"

"Yep," Elsa said, sparing a look for her sister. "I've been up here enough."

"You think your ice tower is still up there?"

Elsa smiled. "If not, I'll just make a new one. A bigger one. But there's something we need to do first once we get up there."

"Make love?" asked Anna hopefully.

"Before that."

"Not after?"

"No. Before."

"Hmph."

Anna leaned against her sister, smiling despite them leaving Arendelle behind. Whether they returned or not, they were no longer defining themselves by the expectations of others, their parents, their country or otherwise. They would be defined by their love for each other and the unique relationship borne of that love. That was all they needed, after all.

**Author's Afterword:** I _told_ you this was a long chapter. After re-reading this chapter, it definitely has a "final" feel to it, which is very deliberate, but it's _not_ the end of the story. I hope that doesn't confuse anyone. We still have a great deal of story to go!

I owe some thanks to Woltor for his comment about Olaf. I had meant to have him pop in earlier, but the story really took off on its own, and fitting him in dropped lower on my priority list. I greatly appreciate the reminder of just what he symbolizes and how important that is. Thankfully, things worked out well for getting him in this chapter. We haven't seen the last of him or Kristoff either. MileyDreamer, Kjell is indeed a character of mine I made for this story. However, after reading the third chapter several more times, I have to admit he has a resemblance to my father I hadn't noticed when I was writing him. That's not exactly a good thing, as my dad and I don't have the best relationship any more, and that makes me sad thinking about it. However, I love the character, and he'll be back before long. Writing is therapy for me, and I suppose that's me working through some issues of my own. Hope everyone enjoyed this chapter, and I'll see you soon enough!


	7. Chapter 7: Northern Lights

**Author's Note:** Nice to see you again! I still think I'm on pace for around 14-15 chapters in this story, but that's always up for revision. I'm still having a really great time writing this story, and I appreciate all of you taking this journey with me. Let's get to it, shall we?

Cover Art for the story is by the incredibly talented Trixdraws from DeviantArt. Thank you again, Trix!

_Please see Chapter 1 for my Standard Disclaimers!_

**Feel, Don't Conceal**

by Jo K.

Chapter 7: Northern Lights

_See the animal in its cage that you built_

_Are you sure what side you're on_

_Better not look him too closely in the eye_

_Are you sure what side of the glass you're on_

_See the safety of the life you have built_

_Everything where it belongs_

_Feel the hollowness inside of your heart_

_And it's all right where it belongs_

-Nine Inch Nails, "Right Where It Belongs"

It was dark on the ocean, with no lights visible on the large frigate as it quietly waited. The stars high above provided some faint illumination, but one man's attention was focused on lights much more terrestrial. The lights of Arendelle were still fairly faint through the telescope, one of the finest money could buy, but the bold flickering of one of the brighter lights indicated a fire significantly larger than a torch.

He ignored the scraping of wood against wood as a small boat made contact with the much larger vessel. No words were spoken as he listened to some of his crew help the new arrival up the rope ladder and onto the deck of the _Dark Current_, one of the Southern Isles' largest gunships. When the sounds of movement stilled, he finally took the telescope away from his eye and turned to face his most trusted spy.

"Your Highness," the man said, bowing slightly, still somewhat out of breath after the long journey, nearly two hours of rowing.

"What news of Arendelle?" said Prince Wilhelm of the Southern Isles, his voice calm if a touch eager.

The spy took a few more breaths, nodding and hoping the prince could see he wasn't ignoring his question. "Still no sign of the queen or the princess," he managed to get out. "No one has entered or exited the castle for seven days now. There's still a good deal of unrest in the city, with at least one small area of fighting going most of the time, despite the city guard's efforts. Unsurprisingly, the citizens most eager to attack their neighbors and burn their homes down tend to be the ones the Glavadian priests have already targeted for conversion."

Prince Wilhelm smiled; despite the dim light, it was quite clear no mirth was involved. "The only thing more fervent than a true believer is the newly converted true believer. Always so eager to make a good impression on the confessors."

"Yes, Your Highness. Arendelle's soldiers have done their best to confine the unrest to the fringes of the city, but we've been able to establish some safe houses for the confessors a bit closer to the castle. When the time is right, we'll be able to funnel most of our supporters into nearly any part of the city you desire. Other than inside the castle itself, of course. It remains well-guarded and maddeningly secure. Haven't been able to even contact anyone inside to attempt to turn them."

Wilhelm nodded absently as he thought. What purpose did it serve Arendelle's queen to let the city remain in turmoil? Was she trying to punish them for not bowing down and kissing her feet after she essentially told them she was committing incest with her younger sister, barely even of marrying age? Or was she truly uncertain of what to do and wisely remaining silent and unseen while she considered her options?

Wilhelm turned back to his spy. He had never learned the man's name, which he felt was for the best. "What is the general feeling of the people toward the queen and the princess?" he asked, staring into the lights across the waters of the bay.

"Not counting the ones the Glavadians have been working on, many of them are surprisingly accepting of the news."

Wilhelm turned his head to look back over his shoulder, unable to hide the surprise on his face. "Really?"

"Yes, Your Highness."

"Well. That's... unexpected."

"Other than the incident at Queen Elsa's coronation, Arendelle has been very happy with the royal family for generations."

"But they were ready to burn her at the stake when they found out about her powers!"

"Yes, but—I mean, Your Highness, but..."

"Go ahead. I pay you to gather information and present it expediently, not worry about etiquette and niceties."

"Yes, sir. I believe that the previous incident with Queen Elsa's coronation and imprisonment is actually making the people _more_ supportive of her."

"Explain."

"Looking back, most Arendellans feel that entire situation was manipulated by the Duke of Weselton, who seems to have taken advantage of the chaos to attempt to assassinate the queen. He was the one who made the loudest uproar about the queen's powers, and he was the first to denounce her a sorceress and call for her capture."

"That does sound like his style, I must admit. Continue."

"Throw Hans and his attempt to usurp the throne through the princess into the picture, and we have two different foreign powers attempting to steal the throne of Arendelle, using the queen, the princess and all of Arendelle as pawns in the process."

"So Weselton and the Isles look like the villains, while the princess and queen look like innocent bystanders."

"More than that, sir. Innocent bystanders who risked their own lives to save not just Arendelle, but also each other. Hundreds of witnesses saw Queen Elsa surrender to let herself be killed to stop the Eternal Winter, as they're calling it; those same witnesses also saw Princess Anna leap in front of Hans' blade to protect her sister. Quite a bit of Arendelle sees them as heroes, not monsters, even with their admitted... affections for each other."

Wilhelm sighed. "It _is_ so hard to fight public image, especially when there are honest witnesses involved." He turned back toward Arendelle, watching the few lights in the distance. "Very well. Return to your post. Do what you can to assist the Glavadians as they fan the flames of unrest, but keep close count of them. I don't want there to be so many of them that they'll cause us problems once we claim Arendelle." He turned back to the spy. "Don't be afraid to sacrifice a few of them occasionally, both to keep the city unsettled and the Glavadians anxious. Just make sure that any you sacrifice aren't in condition to talk."

"What about Arendelle's military, sir? I had thought we would use the church's troops as foot soldiers."

Wilhelm smiled. "I have another army coming for that purpose, one much more evenly matched to Arendelle. The church's soldiers are loyal to the point of fanaticism, but their numbers and skill are no match for Arendelle's troops fighting on their home soil. No, we need an army experienced with the cold and snow to cripple Arendelle's army, one capable of defeating these backwoods fools but only by suffering bloody losses while doing so, leaving them incapable of holding Arendelle and fighting off the church's insurrection at the same time."

"Which army, sir, if you don't mind me asking?"

Wilhelm stepped forward; by the time the spy's ears registered the sound of metal sliding against leather, the tip of the dagger was poking uncomfortably through the man's shirt. "But I _do_ mind you asking," he said coldly. "I've already told you enough to carry out your mission, plus enough of future plans to allow you some flexibility should the situation in Arendelle change significantly. However, telling you more might make you valuable enough for the Arendellans to spare your life should you be caught, and that I cannot have."

The tip of the blade poked hard enough to just break the surface of the spy's skin, then it was gone as quickly as it had appeared. As Wilhelm turned and walked to the fore of the ship, the spy struggled to calm his racing heart before he turned and carefully made his way back to the rope ladder that would take him back to his small boat.

"And send word to me should the queen make an appearance," Wilhelm said as the spy began to climb down the ladder. "She has enough determination to prove a problem, and her powers make her exceedingly dangerous unless we face her at the time, place and situation of our choosing."

Unable to help himself, the spy asked, "Do you think we can defeat her, sir?"

It was too dark to see Wilhelm's face at that distance, but the man could hear a humorless laugh before the prince spoke. "I already know her weaknesses. When all the variables are in place, she'll fall as easily as one of her chess pieces."

On the northeastern edge of the city of Arendelle, an older woman watched four of the city guards walk past her herb store as they patrolled this part of the city. Despite it being dark and rather late, she was still open; business had been good since the civil unrest began last week, a bittersweet feeling for her. While the extra coin from those seeking healing and relaxing herbs was welcome, she hated to see her peaceful home torn by fighting between those furious at what they called an "unholy union" between Queen Elsa and Princess Anna and those supportive of the two sisters marrying.

She walked back over to her store counter, relieving the young girl who had been her assistant for the last few months. "Time for you to head home, child," the old woman said. "Follow the guards on the patrol, and they'll walk you to your home."

"Good night, Nana," the girl said, giving her grandmother a kiss before grabbing her coat and hurrying out the door.

The sole customer in the store finally made her selections, bringing the small batch of herbs and roots she had collected to the counter. "They grow up too fast," she said pleasantly, the edge of a smile peeking above the scarf she had covering her mouth and chin.

"They do indeed," replied the old woman, smiling and nodding as she inspected the younger woman's selections. "Looks like someone's restocking her kitchen."

"Mostly," said the younger woman, her blue eyes bright even in the dim light of the store's lanterns. "I am looking for something for sore muscles, though. I hurt my... leg two days ago, and it's still sore."

"Lots of ways to treat that," the older woman said calmly. "You planning on drinking it as a tea, or making a poultice?"

"Probably a tea," replied the customer. "Would it taste horrible?" she asked.

The older woman smiled, revealing teeth stained but mostly intact. "Do you want it to work?" she answered with a toothy grin.

"Forget I asked," said the younger woman, her eyes lifting as she smiled again behind her scarf. She was bundled up well, a wise precaution considering how cold it had turned since the queen's speech a week ago, with her head covered not just by the hood of her coat but also a soft knit hat pulled down nearly to her light eyebrows. "How much for these?"

Eying the prospective goods, the shopkeeper said, "Four silver for these. Could use an oil if it's your leg that's sore."

The younger woman thought for a moment. "I'd be afraid it might freeze. Our house gets pretty cold."

"You'll probably freeze a lot faster'n it will," the shopkeeper said.

The younger woman laughed briefly. "How about an elixir or tincture?"

The older woman turned to a shelf along the wall behind the counter, selecting a small glass bottle. "Mix of skullcap and willow bark," she said, placing the bottle on the counter. "Expensive, but works right well. Two silver for it."

The younger woman reached into the bag she was carrying, rummaging around. She sighed, then she placed the bag on the counter. She removed the glove from her left hand, then resumed her search through the bag.

As the door to the store opened, the shopkeeper looked up at the person coming in. With a bulky coat on and the hood pulled up, it was hard to tell if the slightly built person was a boy or girl. The large, wide pack on the person's back likely held a strung longbow; when the figure turned to look at the bins next to the door, the old woman saw a covered leather quiver attached to the pack, confirming her guess. "We're getting ready to close," she said to the new customer. "Can't stay open as late as I used to."

"Oh, I'm just waiting on her," came a young woman's voice from beneath the thick hood, still inspecting the bins full of roots.

"Found it!" said the young woman at the counter, pulling her hand from the bag and depositing a gold coin on the weathered counter.

"Not sure if I've got change for a golder," said the shopkeeper, shaking her head. "Don't get those much."

"I don't need change," said the younger woman, shaking her head. "I appreciate you staying open so late. Not many stores are open after dark now, it seems."

"Sad times," the old woman said, shaking her head and hesitating to take the coin. It was far too much for the purchase, and she didn't want to be accused of overcharging customers.

"Why are times sad?" asked the younger woman. "We just came into Arendelle. I don't remember it having this many guards out in the city the last time I was here."

"Some folk are mad about Queen Elsa and Princess Anna gettin' married."

The second young woman turned slightly, glancing outside the shop's open door before walking in front of the door, across to the other side of the herbalist shop.

The old woman took a long look outside the shop door, then she leaned in closer to her customer at the counter. "See, the rub's the Queen and Princess are marrying each other. Some people don't like it, others are fine with it, and the two sides have been fightin' over it a week now."

"And how do you feel about it?" asked the young woman at the counter, her blue eyes curious as she held her fingers on the gold coin.

The shopkeeper stared into her eyes, looking for any hint of malice or sinister motive. She held her tongue, but as she looked down at the counter her eyes caught a hint of a shiny ring on the young woman's long, slim ring finger. "Looks like you're married yourself," she said to the younger woman.

"I am," she said, nodding with another hint of a smile. "Just a few days ago."

"Ah, young love," said the shopkeeper, smiling again. "Is it wonderful?"

The younger woman closed her eyes and smiled. "It's amazing," she finally said.

"Aye, but that feeling can wear off right fast, unless you both work at it. Marriage isn't like the old tales say; it's like a big garden that's always needing attention in some part. But if you both share the planting, the weeding, the watering and running off the pests trying to nibble your stems, it can be beautiful and grow anything you need."

She sighed, making up her mind about how to answer the young woman's question. "Queen Elsa and Princess Anna are both young, but their family's done right by Arendelle for generations. Had to be hard on those two, losing their parents so young and having all the responsibility fallin' on their shoulders. None of us know what all they suffered growin' up, and then all that mess at the queen's coronation a few weeks ago..." She trailed off, looking out the door again. "I myself think I'd rather have the princess in the queen's bed than some foreigner who can't be trusted. They may both be girls, but they've got Arendelle in their hearts and spirits. I'd trust 'em to do what's right by us."

It was quiet in the store for several seconds before a soft scraping noise broke the silence. "Please take this," the young woman said, her voice just above a whisper. She had slid the gold coin over next to the old woman's gnarled fingers, nails and fingertips stained brown from years of working with plants and herbs. "For being an honest Arendellan, and in honor of the queen and princess."

The old woman finally nodded, reaching to take the proffered coin when the brightness of the younger woman's wedding band caught her eye. "Can't believe how that shines in this dim light," she said. "What sort of metal is it?"

The younger woman calmly pulled her hand back, holding it up for just a second as the faceted band caught the light, sparkling almost like a circular diamond. "It's... part of a unique set. It and its mate are the only two like it." She looked back at the older woman and tipped her head, smiling again. The scarf fell slightly forward, just enough to reveal her mouth.

The old shopkeeper saw something vaguely familiar in her face, as if she should recognize the other woman, but she simply couldn't place her. "Thank you much, then," she said as she took the coin.

The younger woman stopped as she adjusted her scarf. "Maybe you'll get a break from the cold before long," she said.

"Aye, that'd make these old bones happy," said the old woman with a sad nod. "Safe travels, then."

"And may the wind be at your back," replied the younger woman, using the traditional Arendelle response as she turned and walked to the door. The second girl caught up with her, with the two exiting the shop into the cold night together.

The old shopkeeper held the gold coin up to the light, weighing it as she inspected it. It was worth as much as nearly half of everything she had sold today, even with the sudden interest in herbs and medicines. She slid it into her apron's pocket as she slowly walked to the door, closing it then throwing the bolt across the door frame. She could have sworn it was already warmer with the door shut, even though it couldn't have warmed up that quickly. She smiled as she walked to her living quarters in the rear of the store. Maybe her old bones would get a brief respite from the cold after all.

As the two travelers walked out of town, snow began to fall lightly over Arendelle. The two guards at the post standing on the edge of town only gave them a curious look as the two young women walked by them, seemingly unconcerned about walking into the woods at night during a snowfall. The guards looked at each other, then shrugged their shoulders. They had a duty to perform, and guarding the city was even more important with the recent unrest. Still, they hoped the two knew what they were doing as their forms rapidly vanished in the dark.

The two walked quietly for some time, the only sound the fresh snow crunching under their leather boots with each step. Abruptly one of them stopped, with the second immediately doing the same.

"Okay, we've got to be far enough of town now."

"Probably so. Are you that hot?"

"Well, you sure said I was last night. And again this morning." The soft noise of a snowball striking leather briefly interrupted the conversation. "Was that really necessary?"

"You have a sassy mouth, Anna."

"Oh!" said Anna as she shrugged off her backpack, setting the covered longbow and quiver on the ground carefully as she took off her coat. "I am not even going there with that mouth comment!"

Elsa flipped her hood down, tugging the scarf and then her knit hat off. She shook her blonde hair out, then she stood back up. "My love, I hate to burst your bubble, but you most certainly _are_ 'going there' with your mouth, just as soon as we get back home."

Elsa raised her hands roughly waist-high, turning in a circle as she shaped ice and snow into a small sleigh, forming it beneath her and Anna. They sat as the seat formed, then Elsa created two large draft horses out of the ice as well. The reins to the horses formed in her hands, and with a gentle toss of the reins the sleigh jerked into motion up the mountain.

The ride was peaceful, as would be expected with no other travelers brave enough or foolish enough to be ascending the North Mountain at night in the cold weather. It took less than an hour thanks to the magic of the ice beasts, capable of moving much faster than a mortal animal on the icy terrain. As they left the woods and entered the clear expanse of white marking the upper part of the mountain, Anna clapped lightly as she snuggled even closer to her older sister. "I still get goosebumps seeing it," she said to Elsa.

The Ice Castle's central tower climbed into the night sky, reaching nearly as high as the very peak of the North Mountain. The emerald glow of the northern lights painted the sky with a breathtaking backdrop, the shimmering lights dancing and drifting in a way to make the stars envious.

"Can we go back up there?" asked Anna excitedly as the sleigh came to a stop outside the steps leading into the frozen castle. "Please? It _is_ our anniversary!"

"Our one week anniversary," replied Elsa, her face carefully neutral. However, as Anna gazed into Elsa's eyes, she knew there was no way she was going to fool her sister: she wanted to go as much as Anna did. "Oh, alright," she said, getting a little jump and shout from Anna. "Let's put these things inside first, though. Less chance of them freezing in one of the warmer rooms than there would be out here."

Anna watched as Elsa dismissed the sleigh and horses, dissolving back into snowflakes without protest. Elsa gave her new bride a wink and smile as she walked past her, carrying the bundle of herbs and tincture inside. "That's still so cool," Anna said as she waited for Elsa to come back outside. After just a minute Elsa was descending the long ice staircase, a smile on her face as she took Anna's outstretched hand. They slowly walked up the icy ascent to the uppermost peak of the North Mountain, their steps steady as the ice accommodated them on their walk.

As they approached the summit, Anna held up her left hand, admiring her wedding band made entirely of ice. Elsa added her left hand as well, resting her hand on Anna's so that their icy rings touched.

"_Are we going all the way to the top, Elsa?" Anna asked. They had just left the sleigh with their belongings in front of the ice castle, beneath a crude shelter Elsa had hurriedly formed from ice and snow, when Elsa grabbed her sister's hand and half-led, half-pulled Anna up the slope of the North Mountain._

_Elsa had stopped just before the summit of the mountain, and now she turned to face Anna. "In a minute," she finally replied. "But first, strip." She pointed at the ground, and the snow politely flattened, making a level place for their things._

_Anna gave Elsa an odd look, but she began to pull off her dress dutifully. She folded it before placing it on the indicated area, adding her boots next. "Aren't you taking your dress off too?" she asked as she removed her undershirt._

_Elsa smiled and snapped her fingers. Her gown, necklace and shoes all disappeared in a flurry of snowflakes._

"_Showoff," Anna muttered as she stepped out of her underpants. "But a very cute showoff," she added with a smile as she walked over to her sister, both of them completely nude. "Is there a reason we're standing here in the snow naked?"_

"_Of course," Elsa said confidently, taking Anna's hand as they slowly walked the rest of the way to the summit. As they approached the small sliver of rock jutting into the night sky, Anna's gaze was drawn upwards. As she looked up, the usually green northern lights were crowned with a bright red as they waved across the vast night sky, like a spectral flag slowly flapping in a magical breeze. Where red and green met, the colors blended into a pearly white Anna had never seen before. "By Freya's heart," Anna whispered. "It's the second-most beautiful thing I've ever seen in my life." She looked back at Elsa, staring deeply into her sister's blue eyes as she took her hands in her own. She smiled as she said, "But not even that can compare to seeing you when I open my eyes in the morning."_

_Elsa looked at the rocky peak; ice began to swirl around the upward-pointing rock, forming a flat platform with steps ascending the short distance up. She and Anna carefully climbed the steps together, turning to face each other once they were on the mountain's highest point, only the night sky, stars and aurora borealis around them. They each took a moment to look around, seeing mountainous peaks, deep valleys, fjords, forests, all the world below them as they essentially stood in the heavens._

"_We stand here together," Elsa said as she and Anna looked into each other's eyes. "In the sky and stars, above all the physical world. No one down there can marry us, so we will marry ourselves."_

_Despite her willpower, Anna began to cry. This moment she had dreamed about had finally come; it was absolutely nothing like she had imagined as a child, but now she couldn't picture marrying anyone other than Elsa. The tears froze as they slid down her cheeks in the frigid wind, but she felt only the warmth of Elsa's love where they held hands._

_Elsa had rehearsed these words for over a week, but she still found her brain incapable of keeping things in order due to her emotions running rampant. However, instead of trying to control herself, she let those emotions go, bathing herself in them as she closed her eyes and tried to remember what she had written. As the wind, sleet and snow billowed and blew around them, she and Anna stood fast on the icy platform, unhampered by the wintry elements. _

"_The only reason I stand here is because I stand with you."_

_Elsa opened her eyes at her sister's voice, seeing Anna gazing at her with love and devotion, green and red luminously painting her face as they stood beneath the swirling sky. _

"_Elsa, I take you as my wife on this equinox."_

"_I didn't know you remembered," Elsa said, finding her voice in surprise._

"_I did. One of the two times a year when day and night are equal. When the two halves are balanced, between the solstices of summer and winter." Anna smiled proudly. "I did pay attention to some of my studies. And it might have helped that I looked at the almanac and calendar a few days ago to see if anything special was coming up."_

_Elsa smiled proudly. "You continue to impress me, my love." Her smile turned more sad as she said, "I'm sorry I can't remember what I had planned to say. I'm just—" _

_She was interrupted by Anna pulling her close and kissing her. She never released Elsa's hands, instead using them to hold her sister in position as they kissed, tenderly and softly. As they parted, Anna licked her lips and said, "No apologies, Elsa. Just like the first night we made love, everything we do and say, we do and say out of love for each other."_

_Elsa nodded, determined to salvage some dignity despite her swirling emotions._

"_And stop worrying about whether or not you look silly. We're standing on top of a mountain naked in a blizzard. A blizzard that you created, in fact."_

_Elsa looked up, but before she could reply Anna darted forward and quickly kissed her on the lips again, grinning when she took a step back. "It's usually annoying when you're right like that," Elsa said, letting herself smile._

_Anna did her best to curtsy without releasing Elsa's hands, her teasing—and adorable—grin still firmly in place. "Sounds like I get special treatment because it's my wedding night, huh?"_

"_Only if I do too."_

"_Deal. No one looks silly tonight."_

_Elsa nodded. She paused, then started again. "Anna, I stand here before you with no secrets, nothing hidden. I swear before the earth, the sky and the nine worlds that I will love you, protect you, comfort you, respect you, care for you and support you forever. I will always be faithful to you and honest with you. I take you as my wife for eternity."_

_Anna fought to not leap into Elsa's arms immediately, despite how strongly she wished to do so. Instead, she tried to remember the basic form of what Elsa had said. She squeezed Elsa's hands tightly as she said, "Elsa, I also stand here before you with nothing hidden and no secrets. I will always be honest with you and faithful to you, and I swear before the earth, the sky and the nine worlds that I will love you, protect you, comfort you, honor you, respect you, support you and care for you forever. I take you as my wife for eternity."_

_As they stepped closer, the wind howled around them, yet they felt not even a breeze against their bare skin as their lips met. _

"_Oh, what'll we do for rings?" Anna gasped suddenly, her lips brushing against Elsa's as she spoke._

_Elsa smiled. "Hold out your right hand," she said, extending her own right hand beside Anna's as she did so. Elsa placed her left hand over Anna's right; Anna matched her sister, covering Elsa's outstretched right hand with her own left hand. Anna looked up into Elsa's eyes as Elsa leaned in to kiss her again; as they tenderly opened their mouths and deepened the kiss, Anna felt Elsa's magic flow through her, entering through her mouth, flowing through her body, then pouring into her hands. As they opened their eyes, Elsa withdrew her left hand, revealing a ring made of shimmering ice, faceted like a gemstone. Anna lifted her left hand as well, revealing a matching ring in the palm of Elsa's right hand. _

_Elsa extended the fingers of her left hand. Anna smiled as she slid the ice ring onto Elsa's ring finger, then she held her own left hand up, fingers splayed apart. Elsa slid Anna's ring on her ring finger, its touch pleasantly cool against her skin._

"_They will never melt," Elsa said, her voice breaking slightly as an icy tear crept slowly down her cheek. "Even in the heat of a volcano. They will last forever, just like our love."_

_Now Anna threw herself into her sister's—her _wife's—_arms, hugging her fiercely as she cried tears of elation into Elsa's hair and neck. "I swear I'll make you proud," she whispered._

_Elsa kissed Anna's neck as she held her wife tightly. "You already have, my love," she whispered in reply. "You already have."_

They stood just short of the peak, arms around each other as they looked up at the thin spire of rock. The aurora tonight was a brilliant green, painting the snow a tint much like Anna's eyes in the light of the sun. Anna laughed softly, drawing a look from Elsa. "What are you laughing about?" asked Elsa, an amused look on her face.

Anna glanced over at her wife, still giggling. "We didn't even make it past this part of the mountain. I pulled you down right there, in the snow," she said as she pointed just ahead of them, "so we could make love for the first time as wives."

"I wasn't complaining," Elsa said with a matching smile. "I figured you didn't want to wait."

"You figured right."

Elsa playfully bumped Anna's hip with her own. "You want to try it again?" she asked. "Or would you prefer to do it in our bed?"

Anna turned and raised her arms as she stepped close to Elsa's chest, resting her arms on Elsa's shoulders as she crossed her wrists behind Elsa's head, so close their chests were lightly touching. "What a delicious decision to make," Anna said, making a show of contemplating the two choices. "Hmmm..."

"I guess it comes down to do you want to chase your clothes down the mountain or not, with this wind," Elsa offered helpfully.

"Good point," Anna said, her tongue poking against the inside of her left cheek hard enough to make it visibly bulge outward. "I would prefer not to pick my clothes out of the trees tomorrow, so I vote for inside in our snuggly warm bed."

Elsa kissed Anna on the nose. "I agree, my love," she said, wrapping her arms around Anna's waist. They kissed for a few seconds, then they turned and walked back down the steep mountain peak to their crystalline castle.

As they climbed the wide steps leading to the tower's grand double doors, those doors swung open silently, welcoming them back to their new home. They crossed the foyer, emerging on the wide ground floor, decorated with icy replicas of chairs, tables and benches like those in Arendelle Castle. Though they didn't expect visitors often, decorating had made Elsa and Anna both feel more comfortable, adding some character to their arctic retreat.

"Can we take the elevator?" Anna asked excitedly as they crossed the elegant crystalline floor, faceted in a style reminiscent of stained glass.

Elsa rolled her eyes, but she let a smile slide across her lips. "I suppose," she sighed dramatically.

Anna clapped her hands and hurried to the large carved circle in the center of the room. As Elsa stepped onto the circle as well, the ice surged upward, lifting the two young women to the second floor, then the third floor, where it stopped. Ice spread outward, connecting to the third floor and forming a solid platform as the ice cylinder below them disappeared, leaving the ground floor as it had appeared earlier.

Anna removed her backpack, placing it on the ice bench Elsa had made for that purpose. She untied the pack, removing first her leather quiver, which she hung on an icy hook above the bench, then her longbow. Her clothes followed, folded and stored in the frosted wardrobe Elsa had made for her.

Elsa herself had been quite busy for the week since they had arrived. Besides reworking the tower slightly and making some friends for the fearsome-looking guard Elsa had whimsically named Marshmallow, Elsa had spent much of her time practicing with her powers. The furniture in their bedchamber was a match for their bedchambers back in Arendelle, other than all of it here had been formed from ice. Elsa herself didn't need any storage for her ice gowns or shoes, but she still had some coats and clothes Idunn and Ygrit had packed for her. The mattress of their bed here in the ice tower was made entirely of enchanted snow, formed into a mattress quite similar to their previous bed in comfort. They had covered the snowy mattress and pillows with sheets and pillowcases, adding blankets and furs to fill out their royal bed.

Elsa went to the bathroom as Anna placed her boots and stockings on the shoe rack. As she closed the frosted door behind her, she smiled as she admired her work. She had been fascinated with the castle's plumbing as a child, and as she grew older she learned all she could about how the pipes seemed to magically carry water into and out of the toilet, sink, shower and bath. It had taken her two full days and a seemingly endless string of watery mistakes before she finally had replicated the castle's plumbing here in the ice tower without the water freezing, with the only shortcoming being the lack of hot water. She had been entertaining some thoughts on that subject, but she would have to speak to Oaken before she could experiment on that front.

Knuckles rapping on the door whisked Elsa back to the present. "Have some patience, Anna!" she said as she finished, moving to wash her hands before she swung the door open.

"You really did a good job on those hinges," Anna said, glancing at where the door was mounted on the frame.

"Yes, I did," Elsa said, putting an aloof face on.

Anna patted Elsa on the shoulder as she walked by her. "And you didn't get nearly as wet doing this door as you did the shower. Or the toilet."

Elsa turned and briefly debated hitting Anna in the back of the head with a snowball. But when she saw Anna stretch, lifting her arms nearly to the ceiling as her nude body straightened then arched backward slightly, all thoughts of doing anything other than making love to her little sister blew out of her mind. "I'll, uh... be in the, uh, bed," she managed to mumble out as she closed the door and stumbled to the enormous bed.

When Anna slid into bed a few minutes later, Elsa pulled her sister next to her, hugging her tightly as they kissed. "Do you think Arendelle's going to be okay?" she asked Anna.

Anna frowned slightly, the freckles on her cheeks dancing with the movement. "I think Arendelle will survive. I do feel bad for the people who still support us, though, like that woman at the herb shop tonight. They really don't deserve the trouble that some people are causing for everyone." She slid her left hand down, resting it on Elsa's hip, letting her fingers rest a bit lower on her wife's butt. "However, we didn't deserve all the things that some people are saying about us, or the damage they're causing while trying to blame it on us."

Elsa nodded her head slightly. "You're right, and I agree with you. But it's good to know that there are still some people who realize that you and I can be in love with each other while still being the Anna and Elsa they've known and trusted our entire lives. Maybe there's hope for Arendelle after all."

Anna looked up at the crystalline chandelier hanging over their bed. "This might be terrible to say, but I don't miss it," she said quietly.

"Miss what?"

"Arendelle. Being the princess."

Elsa laughed. "Well, I certainly don't miss sitting in court for hours on end, listening to everyone's issues and concerns, worrying about everyone else's problems. Being able to play with you, to spend time with you, to build our home, that's all leaps and bounds more fun than most royal duties."

Anna lay on her back, but she turned her head to her right so she could look at Elsa. "I love being able to kiss you whenever I want and not worry about if someone might see us."

Elsa looked back at Anna. She moved her left hand until she could lace her fingers with Anna's right hand. "And I love being able to put us first without any hesitation."

Anna smiled and slid closer to Elsa. "Yeah, I'm pretty happy with that too," she said as she snuggled against Elsa's side while Elsa put her left arm around her, holding Anna against her.

They sat that way for several minutes, eyes closed, just enjoying the peaceful sound and feel of each other breathing. However, something was bothering Anna; that was obvious to Elsa. It was also obvious that Anna didn't want to mention it, which means she thought it would upset her sister. However, that type of thinking didn't always have the best outcome, and Elsa knew it.

"What's bothering you, my love?" Elsa said, rolling onto her left side to face Anna. She reached up and gently pushed several strands of Anna's copper hair out of her sister's face. "I can't do anything about it if you don't tell me."

Anna tried to look down, but that just gave her an incredible view of Elsa's bare chest, making her even more flustered. "It— It's silly," she said, looking back up into Elsa's blue eyes. Her hand drifted up and began lightly tracing lines across Elsa's right breast with her index finger. "And I hate to even bring it up, because I'm afraid it'll bother you."

"Anna, you being bothered is bothering me."

Anna frowned slightly, pausing her finger's movements momentarily. "Well, that's not confusing at all. Because it bothers me that you're bothered by what's bothering me—" She was interrupted by Elsa's fingers pressing against her lips.

"As much as I love how adorable you can be, please tell me plainly what's wrong, Anna. Please."

Anna waited for Elsa to remove her fingers before speaking. "Like I said, it's silly. And I really hope this doesn't bother you. But... there is something I miss."

"About Arendelle?"

Anna nodded. "I miss watching you... being the queen." She sighed, then she added, "You were _such_ a good queen, Elsa. You really were. Whether everybody realized it or not, you were going to be the best queen Arendelle had ever seen. The way you handled the royal court, the way you planned and led the week of the ambassadors and suitors, how you handled telling the castle staff and then the kingdom itself..."

"And we both know how well that went," Elsa said with a frown, looking down at the bedsheet.

"No, you don't," Anna said, moving her head to look in Elsa's eyes again. "It was not your fault how they acted. You couldn't have handled things better, whether you realize it or not, Elsa. And watching you do things like that, like how you handled that Wilhelm ass, I _loved_ watching you do stuff like that." Anna smiled shyly. "It... made me so proud. I was always proud to be your sister, but I was even more proud of what kind of woman you had grown into."

Elsa leaned forward and kissed Anna, gently, softly, as if she were afraid of hurting her somehow. Anna held Elsa's cheek, softly stroking it as they looked at each other. "I'm afraid I'm taking something precious away from you, too," Elsa said, her voice just above a whisper.

Anna looked puzzled. "In what way?" she asked.

"Because with us being up here, you're never going to have the chance to grow into the queen _you_ could be... and she'd be even more incredible than I could ever have been."

Anna smiled as she brushed Elsa's blonde bangs behind her ear. "Elsa, I'm perfectly content with being queen of a snowball, as long as I get to rule it with you," she said before she wrapped her arms around Elsa. "I guess we'll just have to impress each other with how amazing we are, won't we?"

Elsa kissed Anna as they both laughed. "I think we can manage that, my love. Don't you?"

"Oh yeah," Anna giggled as she rolled onto her back, pulling Elsa on top of her. "Now make love to me, my queen," she said with a loving smile.

**Author's Afterword:** A quick note on the equinox: I _do_ understand that the equinox as we recognize it is NOT the same as equilux, which is the proper term for when daytime is equal to nighttime. However, the term equilux is fairly modern, plus Elsa and Anna don't know the difference, so give them a bit of slack. It's a common mistake. Using equinox also fits the story a bit better, for reasons you'll see later.

Hope you enjoyed this chapter. See you soon!


	8. Chapter 8: Fantastic

**Author's Note:** A word on the ethics of hunting and trapping, if you don't mind. In the modern world we're very fortunate that most of us aren't required to hunt, trap, fish or otherwise harvest animals for our food and supplies. However, that's not the case in Arendelle. I'm not including these scenes to try to make anyone uncomfortable or impose any viewpoint on others. It's just the way things are for Anna and Elsa in their part of the world at the time our story is set. Thanks for being patient and understanding, everyone, even with a way of life you might not personally agree with.

As for the music, well... You're not going to hear this too often, but I had trouble deciding between Nine Inch Nails and Kesha. Both songs are appropriate on at least two levels for this chapter, but I felt the winner captured the underlying meaning and feel of this particular chapter better than the other. Plus I love the video, because it's just the right amount of insane.

Cover Art for the story is by the incredibly talented Trixdraws from DeviantArt. Thank you again, Trix!

_Please see Chapter 1 for my Standard Disclaimers!_

**Feel, Don't Conceal**

by Jo K.

Chapter 8: Fantastic

_I don't want to go to sleep_

_I want to stay up all night_

_I want to just screw around_

_I don't want to think about_

_What's gonna be after this_

_I want to just live right now_

_C'mon cause I know what I like_

_And you're looking just like my type_

_Let's go for it just for tonight_

_C'mon c'mon c'mon_

_Now don't even try to deny_

_We're both going home satisfied_

_Let's go for it just for tonight_

_C'mon c'mon c'mon_

-Kesha, "C'mon"

"You know, you're not a very good trapper," Elsa said, her voice both teasing and amused as she and Anna walked through a sparse copse of firs near the top of the North Mountain.

"I'm learning," grumbled Anna, trudging through the snow a few steps ahead of her sister.

"So far this morning, you've released four animals from your snares and taken, oh... none."

Anna stopped and turned to look at her wife. "Hey, I don't want to kill the cute ones, okay? I only kill and skin the hateful ones."

Elsa smiled as she crossed the short distance between her and Anna, giving her wife a kiss first on one freckled cheek, then the other. "And are there ever any hateful ones?" she asked before placing a more lingering kiss on Anna's soft lips.

Anna focused on the kiss, being careful not to poke Elsa with her bow as she hugged her sister. "Well, there will be. Eventually."

Elsa's knowing grin as they parted sent a surge of warmth up Anna's spine, and she couldn't help but laugh herself at how well her sister knew her now. They had been married just two weeks, but between that and the weeks after Elsa's coronation, they seemed to have made up for the years they had been separated from each other.

Anna turned again, her steps quicker than before as her heart throbbed with joy. She knew Elsa cared nothing for hunting or trapping, but she came with Anna anyway. They had spent almost all of their time together since moving to the ice castle, and Anna was sure that life could never be better than it had been the last two weeks. She helped Elsa practice with her powers, Elsa helped Anna practice her archery and hunting skills (non-sentient snow creatures never complained when they were shot with arrows, after all, and they were even happy to bring the arrows back), and there was always time to ski, sled, skate and play.

As Anna approached her next snare, one of the most remote ones on this part of the mountain, she saw movement that struck her as unusual even some distance away. Usually a trapped animal would alternate between frantic attempts at extricating itself or remaining perfectly still as it watched for predators. However, this animal seemed to be unconcerned about freeing itself. It was larger than the rabbits she tended to catch in her snares, and something about the unconcerned way it moved sent warning chills up Anna's spine.

She motioned for Elsa stop behind her as they drew closer, waving her hand back at her sister when Elsa began to speak.

"An—"

"Shh," she whispered, holding her hand extended behind her.

The creature stopped, turning a short head to look in their direction before emitting a noise somewhere between a growl and a hiss.

Anna swiftly slung her longbow off her shoulder, pulling an arrow from her quiver as she did so. She nocked the arrow as she began to slowly step toward the creature, now gutturally snarling as it watched her. She wished she had taken the time to slide her leather tab on her fingers, but the extra feel of her fingers on the string would be a welcome plus.

"Anna," whispered Elsa, holding her ground but growing increasingly concerned as she watched her wife stalk forward, bow and arrow at the ready.

"Stay back, Elsa," Anna whispered. "It's a wolverine, I think. Kjell told me about them." The wolverine turned its back on Anna and went back to tearing at the remains of the creature left in the snare. "He said they were demons with fur, not worth the trouble it took to kill them."

"Then why in Freya's name are you getting _closer_ to it?" Elsa hissed.

Anna turned and looked over her shoulder at her wife. "Because I feel bad for whatever it was in the snare it killed," she whispered back. "It's my—"

"ANNA!"

Anna whirled around in time to see the wolverine start to lope toward her. She drew the bow as she lifted it, aiming hurriedly. Her shot struck the creature, but by the way the arrow bobbed it had only superficially penetrated the wolverine's loose hide. The beast growled angrily, breaking into a run that could have been comical were it not racing toward Anna, snarling as its paws kicked snow behind it as it ran.

Anna had already nocked another arrow, and this time she held her aim until she was sure. The arrow sizzled through the cold air, striking the wolverine in its shoulder just proximal to its left front leg, but it continued to barrel forward without slowing. Anna's third shot was rushed, but she scored another hit, this time just above the creature's neck. She scarcely had time to register the arrow driving into the wolverine's upper back before it leaped at her.

She awkwardly swung her longbow like a club, catching the monster across its ribs with a solid crack immediately before it struck her. She spun with the impact reflexively, evading the beast's teeth but not entirely dodging its claws, tearing ragged lines through her light coat's chest and left sleeve as it just missed her. She stumbled backward, throwing the remains of her splintered longbow between them. The wolverine turned, baring its reddened teeth as it paused, seemingly choosing its next attack as it continued to growl hungrily.

Anna pawed at her belt, pulling her skinning knife from its sheath. She assumed its blade would be long enough to penetrate the beast's tough hide—at least she hoped it would—but it would require her getting much closer to the monster. Grimly, she knew that was going to happen whether she wanted it to or not. There was no way she could outrun it, even with it wounded.

The wolverine's leap was interrupted when a crunching spray of snow struck between it and Anna, sending a spray of ice crystals into the air just above the ground. However, even that didn't get the wolverine to take its black eyes off Anna's crouching form less than ten feet away.

Elsa hesitated, afraid to aim any closer to Anna, images of icy bolts striking her sister in the head and chest seared into her memory thanks to nightmares over the last fifteen years. But if she didn't do something, her sister, her _wife_ was going to die.

"Do it, Elsa!" Anna screamed. "You can't hurt me! Remember!"

Elsa flexed her fingers, her heart's pounding in her ears eclipsing the noise of the furred beast's unholy growling.

"Elsa, I _belong to you!_ DO IT!"

Elsa threw both her arms up, unleashing a tidal wave of frozen fury wide enough to bury a house from her fingertips. She screamed as she poured forth the icy blast, her eyes closed to keep from seeing Anna turned into either an icy statue or a gory corpse.

As the wolverine leaped, Elsa's bitter wave of winter engulfed it, blasting it to the side and partially encasing its rear half in ice. The mixture of snow, ice and biting arctic wind swallowed Anna as well, but other than blowing her twin braids of coppery hair horizontal as her head turned to followed the wolverine's flight, she felt none of its destructive effects. The wolverine was still half-bouncing, half-rolling as Anna fell upon its partially frozen body, stabbing it in the neck and throat repeatedly until its blood had turned the snow beneath them red, its muzzle frozen in a final silent snarl.

Elsa lifted her gown's hem over her knees as she ran to where Anna and the wolverine had fallen in the snow. When she saw Anna sit up, her head tilted back and her face turned to the sky as she gulped down hungry breaths, Elsa felt herself start to breathe again; however, she didn't stop running until she had reached Anna, falling down into the snow as she wrapped her arms around her sister. She felt like a child for breaking down and crying uncontrollably, but she refused to let Anna go, even when her younger sister turned to return the hug, squeezing Elsa tightly as she herself began to cry into Elsa's long hair.

"Skadi's skis, Anna!" Elsa cried into her sister's shoulder. "That was stupid! You could have been killed!"

"Or it could have attacked _you_, Elsa!" Anna hissed back. "I couldn't take that chance!"

Elsa pulled back slightly, but her grip remained as firm as steel. "What if you'd been by yourself, Anna? What would you have done then?" she said, her eyes red with tears and her cheeks flushed with anger.

"I _wasn't_ by myself! I was with you!"

"And it's a good thing, too!"

Anna's face grew even more red at her sister's unintended insinuation. "I'd have killed it, Elsa! It might have hurt me, but I'd have killed it! I don't need you protecting me all the time! I'm not _useless!"_ She shrugged off Elsa's embrace, turning to look at the wolverine's body, stiffening in the cold.

Elsa stared at the back of Anna's head, steam visibly rising from her younger sister's neck and head. As she looked, she saw Anna's shoulders bob slightly, then again. She realized Anna was crying harder, and not just because she was scared at how close she had come to being seriously injured, possibly even killed. She was crying because Elsa had just hurt her in a way even more painful.

"Hey," Elsa said, her voice much lower. "Anna, please look at me."

"No!" Anna said, leaning forward and not turning. "I'm not some helpless child you have to think of, Elsa. Not any more." She pulled her left arm in front of her, seeing a few drops of blood drip out of her tattered sleeve onto the snow.

Elsa had seen the back of Anna's head for years, usually as she walked sadly away from Elsa's door after another failed attempt to get her sister's attention. She felt her throat burn as those memories flooded back into her consciousness, threatening to drown her again in her guilt. Neither she nor Anna registered the snow blowing around them, or the wind picking up intensity, now strong enough to snap icicles off the trees caught in Elsa's ice blast; they were too fixated on their own grief and hurt.

Elsa crawled forward, ignoring Anna's attempts to get away as she hugged her younger sister from behind. 

"Don't," Anna said weakly, but Elsa continued to hold her, kissing the back of Anna's head tenderly.

"I'm sorry," Elsa said, being careful to not be too loud this close to Anna's ears. "I'm sorry for talking to you that way, my love."

There was a pause, then a sniffle before Anna quietly replied, "You should be."

"I am. I swear it."

"I'm not a little kid, Elsa," Anna said, still breathing heavily.

"I know, Anna. You're my wife. Not just my little sister any more, but my mate. And that makes you even _more_ important to me than you were before." She sighed, focusing long enough for the wind to die down and the snowfall to slow. "I didn't want to watch you die," she choked out, her voice just above a whisper.

Anna looked at the bloody knife, lying in the snow where she had dropped it in her anger. "I'm sorry," she said, her voice raw with emotion. "I didn't mean to scare you like that. I had just heard Kjell talk about those things, and I knew we couldn't outrun it if it decided to chase us."

"I could have frozen it."

Anna nodded. "And that probably would've been the smartest thing to do. But... I wanted to protect you for once. And I nearly got myself killed doing so."

Elsa kissed Anna's neck, moving her lips up the warm skin as Anna tipped her head to the side to give her wife better access to her neck and shoulder. "I bet if I hadn't been with you, you'd have been smart enough to leave it alone."

Anna was concentrating on how good Elsa's lips felt on her bare skin when she realized she was supposed to answer. "Yeah, probably," she managed to say. She reached up with her right hand, tangling her fingers in Elsa's loose blond hair. "Thank you, my heart," she said as she smiled. "Thank you for protecting me. I shouldn't get mad for you looking out for me, and I'm sorry I acted like a brat."

"Well," Elsa said as she began to lightly nibble at Anna's ear, grinning at how her wife shivered at the teasing touch, "I plan on protecting my wife. You _are_ going to bear me some children so we can maintain the family line."

"Oh, am I now?" asked Anna, laughing with delight despite the stinging she was beginning to register in her left arm. "And how do you plan on us making that happen?"

Elsa paused long enough to suck in a breath, sending a delightful chill over Anna's skin where her collarbone met her neck. "Lots of magic... and lots of practice."

Arendelle Castle was in a bit of a commotion this morning. For the last four days, the guards at the castle gates had heard requests from the captain of the city guards to meet with Queen Elsa. Today, however, the person doing the requesting was of a significantly higher rank.

Idunn hurried through the main hallway of the castle, finally catching a glimpse of Ygrit as the swifter dark-haired girl exited the main door of the castle into the courtyard. The gates were still closed, preventing anyone from outside from entering the courtyard, but this morning's visitor required attention from someone other than even a captain of the castle guards.

As Idunn stepped into the courtyard, she saw Ygrit join Kai in talking with a man nearly Kai's age but slightly taller and significantly broader than the castle's master of servants. By the time Idunn reached the three of them, they were already speaking in hushed tones rather heatedly.

"May I be of service, sir?" Idunn asked Kai as she stood beside Ygrit, the two of them warily eying the taller man.

"Yes, Idunn," Kai replied, his voice calm but the tremor in his left hand betraying his nervousness. "This is Sir Anders Tyrsen, General of Arendelle's army."

Idunn and Ygrit both quickly curtseyed, only to be cut off by Anders' clipped voice. "It is of utmost importance that I speak to the queen immediately. The situation in Arendelle is worsening sharply, and something needs to be done."

Idunn and Ygrit looked at each other anxiously. Idunn turned to the general and said, "Yes, sir. Please come inside." She turned, Ygrit matching her pace as they swiftly walked through the castle's main doors, the two men close behind them. Ewen, the ranking captain of the palace guards, caught up to them as they entered, falling in step behind the rest of them as they briskly walked through the main hall. Idunn and Ygrit both went immediately to Elsa's private study, closing the door as soon as all five of them were inside.

"It's drifting toward madness out in the city," said General Anders, shaking his head sadly. "I've deployed extra troops in front of the castle, the harbor, the granary, the markets and craftsmen's square, but I fear things are going to get worse before they get better."

"The extra guards are most appreciated, sir," Ewen replied with a nod. "We've caught several Glavadian agents trying to scout or outright break into the castle in the last few days. However, I'm afraid that for every one we apprehend, another three remain in the shadows."

"Well, we have worse trouble than the Glavadian snakes," Anders said. "The Karelians prepare to march upon us, to punish us for the iniquities of our queen and princess, as they so colorfully put it."

"The Karelians are soulless bastards," Ygrit hissed. "They deserve to be slaughtered, every one of them." Idunn took Ygrit's hand as she slid her arm around her companion, holding her in an attempt to stave off the nightmares of Ygrit's past.

Anders turned to look at the handmaiden, then he turned to regard Ewen again. "You _did_ warn me they were bold for handmaidens, my friend," he said, allowing a faint smile to cross his face. "But I would expect no less from the two our Queen hand-picked to assist Princess Rapunzel when she takes Arendelle's throne."

"Yes, well, there's a p-problem," Idunn said, reluctant to let Ygrit go just yet. "With Princess Rapunzel, I mean."

"I'll be fine, Idunn," Ygrit said softly, looking into Idunn's gray eyes. "They need to know now."

"What do we need to know?" asked Ewen. "I had thought Princess Rapunzel would be here in the next few days."

Idunn shook her head. She handed General Anders a letter, the green wax seal of Corona broken over the fold. "Princess Rapunzel has pledged Corona's support to Arendelle in any capacity, military or economically. But she refuses to t-take the throne."

Anders read the letter rapidly, initially to himself but eventually out loud as he drew near the end. "'Thus Corona will stand by Arendelle, but I will not claim a throne already held by the one most suited to rule Arendelle, Her Majesty Queen Elsa. She and her sister Princess Anna are the rightful rulers of Arendelle, with the full and undying support of the Kingdom of Corona. Signed, Her Royal Highness Rapunzel of Corona.'" Anders looked up at Idunn and Ygrit. "Corona's fleets will be invaluable in protecting our shores, but the Karelian army remains a danger. If they were to ally with Ruthenia, they could— "

"The Ruthenians have pledged their support to us as well," Idunn said quickly. "Princesza Ekatarina's missive was the first to arrive, several days ago."

Anders nodded his head. "That's reassuring, at least. Karelia will have to attack us directly, then, if they are unable to pass freely through Ruthenia. That limits their options if they want to strike before winter settles in." He looked at Ewen, then to Kai. "I need to speak to the Queen herself on this matter. If I commit our forces to defend against the Karelians, I should be able to meet them on at least equal ground, but that will force the city guards to deal with this damned insurrection the Glavadians have brewed up for us."

"How bad is it, Anders?" asked Ewen.

Anders shook his head. "Their numbers aren't overwhelming, but they're beginning to win some skirmishes, and each soldier we lose helps their odds. I'm sure some of their inquisitors are here in Arendelle now. The tactics of those seeking to overthrow Queen Elsa are too good for common citizens angry about whom the queen's sleeping with."

"That's our queen you're talking about with such familiarity," Ygrit said angrily.

Anders turned abruptly before hotly replying, "Then tell her to start ruling again!"

The room was quiet for several uncomfortable seconds before Kai spoke. "I understand the situation is grim, but if word gets out that the Queen has yielded the throne—rather, tried to yield the throne, it seems now, then the Arendellans who remain loyal to the royal family will likely lose all hope." He turned to Anders. "I am no general, but I would think it most important to stamp out the snakes already at our gates now, rather than the ones yet to arrive."

Anders turned to look at the large map of Arendelle covering the largest table in the study. He walked across the modest room and examined the parchment intently for several minutes before he finally raised his head. "I'll keep some of my soldiers in the city for a few days longer, but I have to mobilize as many troops as possible now if we're to have any chance of stopping the Karelians before they gain a foothold in Arendelle." He turned to look at Ygrit and Idunn again. "Fighting a war on two fronts is folly. Queen Elsa needs to decide where she wants Arendelle's army, _here_ or _there_, lest we run the risk of being beaten in both arenas."

On the North Mountain, in the royal bath chamber of the Ice Palace, Elsa was carefully and thoroughly washing the cuts on Anna's left arm, ignoring her sister's complaints as she did so.

"For Freya's sake, Anna, hold still!"

"Well, it's doesn't feel great, with you scrubbing those cuts hard enough to reach the bone!"

Elsa stopped scrubbing but didn't release Anna's arm. "I would tell you to stop being a baby, but our conversation from earlier today is still fresh in my mind. So instead I'll remind you that you're a big girl and that you need to suck it up."

Anna reminded Elsa that her right arm was still unencumbered, in her own way.

"ANNA! Did you just _splash_ me?"

Anna looked sideways at Elsa, water dripping off her fair cheek. "Maybe," she said neutrally, her teal eyes holding her sister's gaze.

Elsa reached down, sticking her index finger into the bathtub's water, instantly freezing it into a solid block of ice. _"That_ should teach you a lesson," she said with a smirk.

Anna just grinned and flexed slightly; the ice instantly crumbled back into water with a jolly slosh. "_Part_ of _you_," Anna said in a cheery sing-song voice. "Remember?"

The impact of a surge of water directly in her face washed Anna's confident grin away. Elsa's entire left arm was now in the ice-cold water of the tub, enough to give a newly sputtering Anna a lesson in splashing one's sister. "How about that?" Elsa said teasingly. "Looks like splashing you without using my powers works just fine. Now are you going to let me clean these cuts so we can eat dinner?"

After Anna's cuts had been cleaned and bandaged, the two sisters sat on the observation deck, the highest level in the icy tower. The northern lights danced across the sky as the two of them quietly ate, looking at the stars as they sat on soft furs while they reclined against the tower.

"Thank you for taking care of my arm," Anna said as she leaned against Elsa's shoulder, both of them wearing nothing more than thin nightshirts despite the frigid temperature.

Elsa smiled as she took a piece of smoked salmon Anna offered her, using her mouth to gently remove the savory bite of fish from Anna's fingertips. "You're welcome," she said after she swallowed. "And congratulations on your first fur." She paused, then added, "Maybe next time you can go after something challenging, like a bear."

"Mouthiness isn't a very attractive character trait," said Anna as she took a drink of ice water.

"It is for you," replied Elsa, returning Anna's subsequent look with interest before finally grinning and hugging her. "I'm sorry about your bow."

Anna sighed. "Yeah, I'll have to get a new one next time we're in town."

"I've been thinking about that."

"Be careful. You might strain something."

Elsa playfully pushed Anna over, doing her best to act offended even though she wasn't fooling either of them.

Anna finished her food and placed her ice goblet on the table. She moved next to Elsa, putting her arms around her wife and holding her warmly. "I've enjoyed these last two weeks more than any time of my entire life," she said softly. "For the first time ever, I don't feel selfish for wanting you all to myself."

Elsa nodded her head as she held Anna close, resting the younger girl's head on her shoulder. "And for the first time I can remember, I don't feel guilty for giving you all my attention."

Anna clutched Elsa's nightshirt, holding on tightly to the one person she had always looked up to, had always loved unconditionally. She closed her eyes and let herself get lost in the warmth of Elsa's arms, loving every sensation her mind could process at that moment. "I don't want this to ever end," she whispered.

Elsa blinked tears from her own eyes, moving her arm to catch them, making sure none of them fell onto Anna's head. "Neither do I, my love," she said. "Neither do I."

Back in Arendelle, despite the late hour, a surprisingly spirited disagreement was taking place in the castle's basement.

"I think that is an absolutely _terrible_ idea!"

"How can you say that, Idunn? How?"

"I can say it because I don't want you riding off into some ice storm trying to find Queen Elsa and Princess Anna!" Idunn turned away from Ygrit, walking across their modest room to stand in the far corner. She was trying not to cry, but her tears weren't cooperating. She did manage to stay quiet, at least; she jumped slightly when she felt strong but surprisingly gentle fingers carefully grip her shoulders.

"Why don't you want me to go and find them, Idie?" Ygrit asked, her voice soft and husky.

Idunn blinked her eyes twice, dislodging the tears that had been stubbornly clinging in place. "Because I don't want to lose you," she whispered. "I don't want you to freeze to death on the North Mountain looking for them, when we don't even know that's where they went."

"Kristoff said he's been to the ice castle Queen Elsa made there. He can take me if you really don't want me to go by myself."

Idunn turned to look at the young woman she had grown to love over their brief years. Ygrit was a year younger than she was, but she had Thor's own fearlessness. Unfortunately, that wasn't always a good thing. Idunn looked into Ygrit's eyes, darker than usual in the dim light given off by the single lit candle, as she gripped her lover's hands tightly. "I don't want you to go at all, Ygrit. The weather's much colder than it usually is this time of year, and whether that's from the queen's powers or not, the ice and snow will make a dangerous path even more dangerous right now. Don't you remember Princess Anna's story about going up to find Queen Elsa? How she had to fight off a pack of wolves, nearly fell to her death over a cliff, then nearly froze to death trying to get back to Arendelle?"

"I'm not the princess," Ygrit said stubbornly, tilting her head slightly downward as she assumed her facial expression that indicated she was going to do this whether Idunn agreed with her on not. "And I'll be careful! I promise."

Idunn sighed. She knew Ygrit better than anyone, and her girlfriend was going to find the queen and princess if she had to ride naked through an ice storm. "At least wait until we can find Kristoff. And Olaf. I won't worry as much if you go with them. They should be back any day now."

Ygrit nodded her head. "Agreed." She hugged Idunn, patting her girlfriend on her back. "I'm not doing this just to be foolish, Idie, I swear."

Idunn nodded. "I know. We need the queen and the princess back, badly. And I'm proud of you for wanting to do this. I just can't help but worry about you. You're my heart's princess, Ygrit."

Ygrit looked up into Idunn's tear-limned eyes. "I _will_ come back to you, Idunn. I swear it."

"Swear it in the morning," Idunn said as she kissed her girlfriend. "Tonight, we're together."

**Author's Afterword:** Yes, this chapter is a bit shorter than I prefer for updates. However, this is the natural break leading into the next chapter, which is likely going to be pretty freaking long. It might take a bit longer to post it, too, just because of how long I'm expecting it to be. Please bear with me if it takes closer to two weeks to get the next chapter up. I promise it'll be worth it.

As I'm sure you've noticed, I choose to avoid referring to Elsa and Anna with an unwieldy title like "wife/sister" or "sister-wife." Instead I just use whichever title seems to best capture the feeling between the two at any particular moment. This is done mostly for ease of reading; we all understand that their relationship spans being sisters, friends, spouses, partners, mates, consorts, even playmates. No need to run through each of those roles every time the opportunity comes up. Hope you're still enjoying the story, and I'll see you soon!


	9. Ch 9: Sometimes Responsibility Sucks

**Author's Note:** My apologies for it taking so long to get this next chapter to you. I'll choose to blame being out of town on a mini-vacation for a few days. As a result, I decided to truncate the megachapter that will now be 9 and 10, as together they were pushing thirty pages and going. Thus, you can enjoy chapter 9 now! Next chapter should be back on my previous schedule, so hopefully in another week. Maybe a bit less. We'll see.

Cover Art for the story is by the incredibly talented Trixdraws from DeviantArt. Thank you again, Trix!

_Please see Chapter 1 for my Standard Disclaimers!_

**Feel, Don't Conceal**

by Jo K.

Chapter 9: Sometimes Responsibility Sucks

_I never really gave up on_

_Breaking out of this two-star town_

_I got the green light_

_I got a little fight_

_I'm gonna turn this thing around_

_Can you read my mind?_

-The Killers, "Read My Mind"

For about the tenth time since she departed Arendelle Castle two days ago, Ygrit mentally kicked herself for leaving. "Is it always this much of a nightmare getting up here?" she asked, nearly yelling to make herself audible over the howling winds scouring the southeastern face of the North Mountain.

"Not usually," shouted Kristoff, his voice as muffled by the winds as his outline was obscured by the heavy snow. "But I'm not usually coming up here in the middle of a blizzard."

Ygrit pulled her hood tighter, seeking any further protection she could coax from her clothing against the frigid elements. "Yes, well, I'll make a point to complain to the queen once we find her," she shouted back, despite being less than twenty feet from her erstwhile guide.

Kristoff had insisted on roping Ygrit to him as he led the way up the final third of the North Mountain, anchoring them both to his reindeer Sven, who followed the two of them as they slowly, carefully ascended the lesser used path up the mountain. The combination of ice, winds and rockslides had made the path Kristoff used on his previous trip to the north summit impassible, and the weather which had forced them to find shelter last night when they were just halfway up the mountain showed no sign of easing off today.

Despite the risk, Ygrit insisted on them pressing ahead today. She had expected a spirited argument about how dangerous her request was or how foolish she was being to brave such weather, but Kristoff had just muttered something to Sven about Anna rubbing off on her friends before beginning to load their gear.

"So what are you going to do once you find them?" Kristoff shouted as he trudged forward, only lifting his head just enough to gauge his next steps.

"What?" yelled Ygrit, unable to make out his words as the winds picked up intensity. When no reply came immediately, she shouted again, "WHAT?"

When she didn't receive a reply, Ygrit began to walk more quickly, trying to catch up to Kristoff by using the rope between them as a guide. However, with the third step she made against the powerful wind, she abruptly stumbled forward when those winds seemed to instantaneously cease. She tumbled forward, the drifts of snow cushioning her fall at the cost of burying her face in them. She stumbled to her feet, seeing a matching depression of snow beside hers; judging from its larger area, it had to belong to Kristoff, a theory confirmed when she looked up and saw the taller man standing still just outside his snow outline, staring forward as large flakes of snow lazily fell around them.

"How..." Ygrit mumbled, spitting snow out of her mouth as she looked behind them, seeing the winds billowing into essentially a curtain of blinding snow that stood just a few feet behind them. "Do you—" she sputtered, only to lose her train of thought as she turned to look at Kristoff, finally seeing what had him so transfixed.

In the gentle snowfall where they now found themselves, a shimmering staircase of ice led upward, spanning a gulf beyond the edge of the cliff just a few steps in front of them. Ygrit could see that the steps led to another ledge above them, but no further details could be discerned at their current angle.

"Elsa," Kristoff said calmly. He turned to look behind them as Sven emerged from the blowing ice storm, the great reindeer blinking his large eyes at the sudden change in weather. "Yeah, we know you shouldn't try to climb these stairs again, don't we, buddy?" Kristoff said to his friend, patting his thick mane as he fished for a carrot in his pocket.

"That was fun!" Olaf cried as he, too, emerged from the blizzard.

When Ygrit turned to look at the little snowman, however, she started laughing before she could help herself. "Oh, Olaf," she said, the laughter making her sound less like a tightly controlled adult and more like the teenage girl she was, "I think you, um, gained some weight."

The heavy snow had piled upon Olaf's small form, leaving him twice as wide as usual and nearly taller than Kristoff. Only the very tip of his carrot nose was visible due to the accumulated volume of snow on his head. "Hm," the snowman said curiously. "Maybe that's why I felt so slow!" He shivered fiercely, sending a spray of snow in all directions for a few seconds; once the snow settled, he was back to his regular shape and size, his grin back at full strength. "Ah..." he said happily, wrapping his twig arms around his upper body. "Nothing like being yourself!"

"And dry," Kristoff said darkly, wiping snow out of his face for the second time in as many minutes. "Okay, Sven will stay here." He gave his friend another loving pat on his large neck before quietly adding, "For his own good." Kristoff pulled a thick staff from the reindeer's harness straps, then he began carefully climbing the glittering staircase, making sure to keep his free hand securely on the bannister.

Ygrit followed, keeping both her hands on the bannisters as she began climbing the stairs, gingerly at first but with increasing ease as she grew used to the feel of the steps. Rather than being entirely slick, lines etched into each step provided a slight amount of grip for booted feet. Olaf effortlessly bobbed up the stairs, likely due to him being created from the same source of magic as the staircase.

After several minutes, they reached the top of the stairs. The plateau ahead of them was still, with only a few tiny snowflakes floating through the air. Ygrit turned to look back down below them, marveling at the sight of a blizzard seemingly contained behind an invisible wall despite no such barrier being present. From this vantage point, she could appreciate the size of the winter storm, although her perspective and its magically restrained nature gave her the impression of a vast snow globe brought to life.

"We're not done yet," Kristoff said, prompting her to turn and look ahead of them. The walk across the plateau wasn't short, but it appeared to be blissfully free of complications. At the end of the plateau another ice staircase climbed into the distance, its full span concealed by swirling gusts of snow. "I don't think Elsa would deliberately set traps or anything, but I'm not taking any chances," Kristoff explained. "Not this close."

Ygrit allowed herself to briefly smile. "We're close, then?" she asked hopefully. She wasn't quite sure she'd ever be able to feel her face again at this point. Hopefully Idunn would still love her if she lost her nose to frostbite.

Kristoff nodded. "Yeah, we're close. Oh, watch out for a giant snow monster, too. Yell if you see it."

Ygrit was still looking at the distant staircase when she registered Kristoff's words as he was walking off. "Wait, _what?"_ she yelled, abruptly running after him.

Despite her initial trepidation, by the time Ygrit reached the top of the second icy staircase, her worry had entirely been supplanted by wonder. As the crystalline tower and spires of the ice castle became more visible with each step, she found herself increasingly hurrying, eager to see more. She reached the top of the staircase just moments after Kristoff, slowing down to keep from running into her guide as they started walking toward the immense ice palace. However, after just a few nervous steps toward the icy structure, she found her attention drawn to the ground of all places.

"Kristoff..." she said, kneeling down to better examine the delicate sculptures of flowers, spaced and arranged as if in a flower garden just like those found in Arendelle Castle. As she leaned in closely, she could see the difference in shading and color from flower to flower, some entirely clear and transparent, other white, or blue, or purple, or green, or teal. Some were frosted, others translucent, others entirely opaque. "They're each unique," she said to herself, only just resisting the urge to reach out and touch one to see if they felt like real flowers. She knew they couldn't—they were obviously made of ice, after all—but other than the usual palette of bright colors, they looked as detailed as any tulip, rose or wildflower she had seen. As she unconsciously breathed out, the flower directly in front of her face swayed gently, its petals and leaves moving exactly as if it were alive. She laughed, then blew a bit more forcefully, laughing harder as several of the blooms bent forward, then gently rocked back and forth.

"Wow!" Kristoff exclaimed softly as he knelt beside Ygrit, taking in the unique flower garden before them. "I knew Elsa could create some amazing stuff, but I've never seen her do anything this delicate or detailed."

Ygrit grinned. "It looks like she's been practicing," she said softly, thrilled to see a side of her queen that likely no one besides Princess Anna and Queen Elsa had ever seen before. As she stood, something about the layout of the flowers tugged at the back of her mind.

"Yeah, that castle looks bigger than it was before. A lot more detailed, too." Kristoff looked carefully at the elegant structure, now with a broader base more like that of a full castle to go along with the steep central tower, but still possessing the flowing organic lines of water instead of the blockiness of stone or brick. "Hey, what are you doing?!" he shouted as he felt Ygrit try to climb up his back.

"I need to get a better view," she said as she tried to pull herself up onto his shoulders, not making much progress despite her determination.

"Well, did you ever think to just _ask?"_ Kristoff shouted, turning to face the smaller girl, who was now standing perfectly still.

Ygrit's face was already flushed from the cold, but she managed to turn even more red as she looked up at Kristoff. "Asking... isn't exactly one of my strong points," she quietly admitted.

Kristoff folded his arms as he regarded the teenager in front of him. "Maybe it's time you made it one."

Ygrit looked up at the man she was beginning to think of as a friend. "I'm sorry for being rude," she said. "You've gone far out of your way to help me get here, and I thank you for that."

"You're welcome," Kristoff replied, smiling again. "Now, would you like a boost to get a better look at... whatever it is you're wanting to see?"

"Please," Ygrit said with a nod. As Kristoff knelt down, she stepped over his shoulders, holding on carefully when he stood, lifting her atop his shoulders. As he turned around, she scanned the frozen flower garden. Within seconds, her mind recognized the pattern of the flowers.

"A crocus," she said with a voice just above a whisper.

"What was that?"

"You can put me down now. Please."

Kristoff bent over, letting Ygrit slide forward over his head and back onto the ground. She turned as she stood, patting his hair down over the back of his head. "What did you say just then?"

Ygrit smiled. "It's a crocus. Not the flowers themselves, but how they're arranged."

"Okay, I admit I don't know much about flowers, but what's the significance of a crocus?"

"It's Arendelle's national symbol. The hardy, determined flower that grows out of the snow, symbolizing not just Arendelle but rebirth itself." She looked around at the quiet peak. "Even after what happened following her speech, Queen Elsa still loves Arendelle."

"I do," came a voice from behind them, causing a start in both Ygrit and Kristoff. They turned to see Elsa and Anna standing between them and the icy stairs. They were probably twenty feet away, standing close enough to each other that their shoulders were nearly touching as they held hands. Elsa was wearing a royal blue sparkling ice gown with full sleeves, slit in front of her right leg up to mid-thigh. Anna was wearing a light green shirt, the top buttons left open, with a tan skirt that fell just below her knees covering dark leggings. Her favorite black boots completed her outfit, while Elsa was wearing a pair of icy flats for shoes.

"We both still love Arendelle," Elsa said. "We just love each other even more."

Ygrit fell to her right knee, bowing her head. "Your Majesty!" she said breathlessly, her heart pounding fiercely.

Elsa and Anna looked at each other, exchanging nearly identical smirks. "She's talking to you," Anna said, gesturing toward their former handmaiden.

Elsa stepped forward, gently tugging Anna with her. "Rise, Ygrit," Elsa said as she approached. "You're among friends, not rulers."

"Hi, Kristoff!" Anna said pleasantly, waving. Kristoff returned the wave, an amused look on his face. "Have a nice trip?"

"No, it sucked," he said. "Landslide took out the main road, then we fought a blizzard for a day and a half to get up here."

"Oh," Elsa said, stopping right before she reached Ygrit, now on her feet. "Sorry," she said, an embarrassed look on her face.

Anna playfully patted Elsa's back. "My loving sister here wanted to make sure we had some privacy for our little, ah, _picnic, _yesterday."

"Yes! A picnic!" Elsa nearly shouted, her face fairly red. "We were having a picnic. Exactly."

"A picnic," Kristoff said smoothly. "Really."

Anna turned to look at her wife. "I don't think they're buying the picnic story," she calmly said.

"Let's talk about something else!" Elsa said quickly, turning back to Ygrit.

Kristoff rubbed his chin as he walked closer to Elsa and Anna. "So this... picnic... lasted two days?" he asked, his voice clearly implying he wasn't talking about a picnic.

Anna shook her head. "Well, not at first. I mean, not _continuously_, you know?" she said with a twinkle in her eyes. "We do have to sleep. Some."

Looking incredibly flustered, Elsa did her best to ignore Anna and Kristoff's conversation. "Would you like to go inside?" she asked Ygrit, who appeared somehow even more embarrassed.

"Y-yes, Your Majesty," Ygrit said. "I have some important—"

The sound of Kristoff and Anna laughing loudly interrupted Ygrit, drawing Elsa's attention unwillingly back to her sister and friend.

"—_how_ many places?" asked Kristoff.

"Well, yesterday we, uh, 'spread the blanket' up there next to the peak, then this morning it was next to this little spring we really adore, then—"

"WE WERE HAVING SEX, OKAY?" Elsa screamed in her sister's and Kristoff's direction. "It's... exciting, to do it out in the open, at least for us it is. Up here we don't have people watching over us all the time, and sometimes we like to be a bit... naughty."

Anna glanced sideways at Kristoff. "Hey, at least she'll admit it now," she said with a grin. "Even though it's embarrassing her to no end talking about stuff like this. But that's why I love her." She walked over to Elsa and put her arms around her wife, kissing her warmly without lingering long enough to be awkward in front of their friends.

After they broke the kiss, Elsa licked her lips and smiled happily before continuing. "And I wanted to make sure nobody accidentally stumbled onto us, then I sort of... forgot to turn the blizzard off."

"Your Majesty," Ygrit said during the lull in the conversation. "I deeply apologize for interrupting you and Princess Anna in your retreat up here, but we desperately need to discuss the situation in Arendelle, and quickly."

Elsa and Anna both studied Ygrit's face. While her temper was fiery, the young brunette was not given to exaggeration, and she appeared both sincere and even a bit frightened. "Okay," Elsa said. "Let's go inside."

"Where's Olaf?" asked Kristoff, looking around.

"Oh, we sent him to go get Sven," Anna said. "After we realized you were here, Elsa made him some ramps that'll be easier for him to cross with his hooves. We have a nice stable for him to stay in."

The four walked slowly to the ice castle's main entrance, passing another flower garden arranged in front of the castle on either side of the wide steps leading to the huge double doors.

"Those flowers are amazing," Ygrit said as they passed the nearer flower bed. She noted silently that these too were laid out in the shape of crocuses. "When did you learn to make them so lifelike, Your Majesty?"

Anna wrapped her arms around Elsa's left arm, proudly hanging onto her wife. "My Elsa's been practicing since we've been up here," she said lovingly. "And flowers aren't the only thing she's learned to make."

As the ice castle's doors swung open at their approach, Kristoff and Ygrit both slowly looked around as they entered, taking in not just the scale of Elsa's creation but also the precision and detail of the castle's furnishings. "Your Majesty," Ygrit said as she examined the crystalline suits of armor flanking the main doors. "These are..."

"Identical to the ones in Arendelle Castle?" Elsa finished. "Yes. Many of the furnishings and decorations are like that. They... were all I had for comfort for too long, and I know every detail on most of them."

Anna put her arm around her wife, then she gave her a gentle kiss on the cheek. "And now you have them and me both," she said happily.

"Oh, my love, you beat them easily," Elsa said with a smile as she patted Anna's hand. "So, Ygrit, Kristoff. What's so important that you braved a blizzard to reach us?"

"And where's Idunn?" Anna asked. "Did you stuff her in your pack or something?" she added, standing on her tiptoes to get a better look at the large pack Kristoff was wearing.

"No, she's safe back at Arendelle," Ygrit said. With a grimace, she added, "Well, she's safe for now." She turned back to Elsa. "Your Majesty, things have gone downhill ever since the two of you left." She sighed, but they needed to know. "Princess Rapunzel has refused to assume the throne of Arendelle."

"What?"

"But—"

"She's refused because she says the throne rightfully belongs to you, Your Majesty, and that no one could rule Arendelle as well as you. She has pledged the support of Corona's navy to help repel the fleet attacking Arendelle, though, and—"

"Wait, a _fleet_ attacking Arendelle?" Elsa interrupted. "What's going on?"

Ygrit's face was stoic as she gathered herself. "Your Majesty, it's even worse than that."

Seeing Elsa's face turn more pale than usual, Anna moved to support her sister, holding her more tightly. "Elsa, my heart, I think we need something to sit on."

Elsa nodded, unable to speak at the moment. She gestured behind them, with a icy love seat springing up beneath them. Anna helped Elsa sit slowly, settling in next to her wife before she guided Elsa into her lap, where she could wrap both arms around her. "Okay, Ygrit," Anna said. "Go ahead."

Ygrit nodded once. "Over the three weeks that you've been gone, Your Majesty, Your Highness, Arendelle has come under siege. The Glavadian church has sent spies and agents to infiltrate Arendelle, using the discord among the citizens opposed to your and the princess's relationship to incite riots. They've been small so far, but the city guards fear a large-scale uprising eventually. Some of our scouts have spotted the church's soldiers less than a day's ride from the city, which was what prompted me to leave to try to find you."

"When did you leave?" Elsa asked, her blue eyes sad with concern.

"Two days ago," Ygrit answered. "Arendelle's ships have also come under attack, but we currently fare better on that front. Our navy is superior to the Karelians and their ragged allies, mostly made up of pirates and mercenaries, and many of our merchant vessels had already left port on trade missions prior to the first attack."

"The Karelians?" asked Anna. "What triggered them to do something like..." Her voice trailed off as she realized what the most likely cause of the attack would be. "Oh," she said quietly, lowering her head and gazing at where her hands lay in Elsa's lap, covering her sister's hands.

"The Karelians were among the first to condemn the two of you getting engaged, and they wasted no time in stirring their country into a religious fervor to prevent such a royal union. They have always been strong allies to the Glavadian church, and General Thyssen has taken Arendelle's army to meet the Karelian force as they make for Maiden's Pass, the most direct route into Arendelle's borders from Karelia."

There was silence as Elsa and Anna digested these shocking developments. "Who has been managing Arendelle in our absence?" Elsa finally asked.

"Well, really... no one," Ygrit admitted. "The citizens have no idea that you and the Princess abdicated your throne and titles. Kai, Idunn and I have managed the castle's daily affairs, and Captain Ewen and General Thyssen have handled the castle and city guards. But we have only been able to do so much, and Arendelle is crumbling, Your Majesty. The nobles who make up the royal court are in uproar for being shut out of the castle, and only their respect and a bit of fear regarding you has kept any of them from trying to unite the others to challenge you. Corona's fleet will help remove any threat from the sea, but that is the limit of what they can offer. Ruthenia has refused to help Karelia, and they have sent their own troops to their border with us, but they have not offered or agreed to fight the Karelians with us."

"Ekaterina will be hoping that the presence of her armies will be enough to convince the Karelians to back down," Elsa said, thinking out loud. "But if Karelia has committed to both full-scale naval and land assaults, they're not going to back down."

"They're not fighting smart, they're fighting _mad_," Anna said.

Elsa nodded. "Exactly. They're stirred into a religious frenzy, and common sense isn't going to work here. If she commits her troops to fighting them, she's painting a target on her own country." She looked up at Ygrit again. "Did General Thyssen know you were coming to find us?"

Ygrit nodded.

"And did he send you with any maps or plans of battle?"

Ygrit nodded again. She opened Kristoff's backpack and pulled a leather map case out of it. She moved to a nearby table, with Elsa, Anna and Kristoff all following her. Ygrit removed the map and unrolled it on the ice table, smoothing it down. It was a well-drawn map, with hand-lettered troop placements marked in multiple places. "Here's the last known location of the Karelian army," Ygrit indicated with a tap of her index finger just across the border between Arendelle's east and Karelia. "The general was trying to reach Maiden's Pass before the Karelians to set up a defense to keep them out. If the Karelians reach the pass first, he plans to let them fully advance into Arendelle before striking from their flank."

Elsa nodded. "The mountains forming the pass are so steep there's no maneuvering. Any attackers would have to charge right into their defenses. Karelia could hold that until it began to freeze, and they might not withdraw even then. Freya, it'd be hard to force them out if they get there first."

"What about Arendelle?" asked Anna. "Were the Glavadian soldiers marching on the city itself?"

"They seemed to be waiting for something, according to the scouts."

"Probably to let Arendelle tear itself apart, with a little help from the church's inquisitors and confessors," Elsa said, her voice cold. "I'm sure they're already there, doing their smooth talking on anyone who'll listen to them. Then their Crusaders could march in and take the city, especially with Arendelle's army days away on the Karelian border."

"Shit," Anna said flatly. "This is _so_ not good."

Ygrit looked back and forth between Elsa and Anna. "No, it's not. The gods have cursed us with all this happening at once."

"The gods haven't done a damned thing," Elsa said sharply. "This is the work of men and women, and it'll be the same who fix it."

She sat and thought, leaning back against Anna. Anna gently ran her fingers through Elsa's loose, long blonde hair, being careful not to pull on the occasional snag, working through her own thoughts as she held her lover with her other arm. The two of them quietly sat there for several minutes, each unconsciously drawing on the other's presence as a source of calming and comfort as they processed the various unpleasant options ahead of them.

"I still don't miss it," Anna finally said, her voice soft so as to not startle Elsa this close to her wife's ears.

"Hmm?" Elsa purred, tipping her head back slightly to catch a glimpse of Anna's adorably freckled face.

"Being in Arendelle. Being the Princess. Having to play the role expected of us, something neither of us asked for but both of us were required to do, all thanks to our parents."

"You're still mad," Elsa said softly. "Aren't you?"

Anna's silence before she finally answered was telling. "Yes. I am. I'm mad at how they treated you when you told them about us, at how some of them threatened you and tried to hurt you. At how they reacted just because we're in love and we happen to be sisters."

"But not all of them reacted that way, Anna," Elsa said, shifting her hands to lift Anna's left hand, resting tenderly on Elsa's stomach, to her lips so she could kiss it. "Some of them were fighting to defend us."

"And they're _still_ fighting each other, it sounds like! Because of that, the Glavadians have slithered into Arendelle City, the Karelians are marching right into east Arendelle, and who-knows-what are attacking our ships!"

Anna clamped her mouth shut, halting any further ranting. It wasn't Elsa's fault that Arendelle was so polarized, and taking her frustration out on the woman she loved more than anything wasn't going to help matters.

"Do _you_ miss it?" Anna finally asked Elsa.

Elsa sighed as she shifted slightly in Anna's embrace, turning enough to look at her sister. She really didn't need to think about this particular question ever again. She had learned the answer almost exactly three weeks ago, when she woke in the ice castle's bed next to Anna, their bodies woven together in a tangle of arms, legs and hair spilling red and blonde. It was the first morning they had experienced as wives, and for several blissful minutes Elsa simply lay there in silence. There would be no one coming in to wake them, to steer them to the bath, to go over meetings and royal duties planned for the day. No one to disturb their embrace or to intrude upon their sacred time together, now more precious than air to Elsa. There was no expectation of how they had to dress, of where they needed to be, of what had to be done that day. After years of being denied the simplest contact with each other, she and Anna now truly had no barriers between them; the walls, doors, expectations, duties were all gone. Even the most basic barriers of clothing, sex and propriety had fallen to the force of their love, and they were now united in every way.

Elsa smiled dreamily. Every way except one, of course. And one day they would find a way to overcome that last obstacle and have children of their own. What was magic, after all, if not the act of doing the impossible?

"Soooo..." Anna drew out slowly. "Does that grin mean, 'Yes, I miss it,' or does it mean, 'Nope, I don't miss it at all because I'd rather be shacked up with that hot redhead Anna in this cool ice castle'?"

Elsa leaned forward and kissed Anna, using her left hand to pull Anna's head and lips tightly against her own. "It means," Elsa said as she pulled back slightly, "that I would pick being up here with you over being back in Arendelle every time."

Anna smiled. She knew she was being selfish, but Freya's sweet kiss, it felt _good_ to hear Elsa say that she was more important than Arendelle, or their parents, or their royal duty. After growing up always being last in importance to almost everyone in every way she could remember, she was finally more important than anything else to someone, and not just anyone—she was most important to Elsa. And it was hearing her big sister, her winter bride, confirm how special Anna was to her that liberated Anna from those old insecurities and made it even more clear what they needed to do.

Just inches away, Elsa hated what she was thinking. Oh, she loved Anna, and she had meant exactly what she had said; she would pick staying up here with Anna over Arendelle's future or even its survival. But she still felt some duty to try and save the land of their birth and childhood, as miserable as those childhoods had been. Yes, Arendelle had handed the two of them years of pain and loneliness, but her powerful sense of responsibility made it unpleasant to just leave Arendelle to its fate and let it burn. If she had to choose between Anna and Arendelle, she would choose Anna, and in fact she already had, but now she hoped she wouldn't _have_ to choose between them.

She hated that she was going to even ask this, but she knew she had to, at least for the sake of her conscience. Despite how happy they had been the last three weeks, Elsa was going to ask something that Anna wasn't going to like, and she hoped Anna could understand why in Freya's name she would even ask. She turned to look at her sister. "Anna..." she said, taking Anna's hands in her own.

Anna smiled. A tear ran down her cheek, but she smiled. "I know, my heart," she said, her voice threatening to break. "We have to help them," Anna said, her voice a bit sad but confident.

Elsa blinked. "What?" she blurted out before she could stop herself. "I'm sorry, but that's not exactly what I was expecting you to say."

Anna wiped her tears away with the back of her right hand, taking Elsa's free hand again when she was done. "I know," she said with a small nod. "I'm still mad at the people who were upset at our being in love, and if anyone else throws something at you, I swear to Skadi I'm going to make them eat it. But as angry and resentful as I've been when it comes to Arendelle, as much as I felt like I was never good enough in the eyes of our parents or our people..." She paused, smiling sadly. "Or in _your_ eyes..." She closed her eyes and sighed, needing just a few seconds to compose herself before opening to see Elsa's blue eyes welling with frosty tears of their own. "But now I know, I absolutely _know_, that I no longer have to compete with anything or anyone for your love." She lifted their hands up until they were clasped just below their chins, their faces just inches apart. "These last three weeks, you have shown me just how special I truly am, Elsa, and I can't ever thank you enough for that. To me, you'll always come first, and to you, I know I'll always come first."

"I have never been happier than I have been these last three weeks up here with you, my love, in our new home," Elsa said, trying not to cry herself but failing miserably. "And as much as I want to help Arendelle too, I still don't want to leave," she choked out, her voice tightening at the raw honesty.

Anna reached up and cupped Elsa's cheeks with her hands, relishing the warmth of her wife's face. "I feel the same way, my heart. And do you know what?"

Elsa shook her head, large tears of ice slipping down her cheeks.

Anna leaned in closer, smiling despite her own tears trickling down her face, seeming to dance between the dusting of freckles on her cheeks. "We'll be just as happy down there in Arendelle as we are up here," she said, punctuating her sentence with a warm kiss on Elsa's lips.

Elsa sobbed once, grabbing Anna's head with her hands and pulling her wife even harder into the kiss, trying to communicate every regret she had about them returning to Arendelle, of returning to the royal duties, the headaches and the responsibility, in that one kiss. She tried to release every frustration and every bit of anger at how they once again had to give up their own bliss because of their responsibility to others, and when their lips finally parted with a wet release, she was afraid she might have bruised both hers and Anna's lips.

Anna just looked into Elsa's shimmering blue eyes and said, "It's okay, Elsa. It's going to be okay."

And just like that, it was. They stood as Elsa looked into Anna's eyes, nearly as blue as hers in this icy castle, and she knew that Anna's devotion to her would never waver, whether they were here, there, Valhalla or wandering through Hel itself. Anna would be with her, loving her, supporting her, protecting her, just as she would be for Anna. Elsa smiled at her sister, still amazed at the love between them. "I gave up a kingdom for you, you know," she said warmly to Anna, grinning as she spoke.

Anna smiled in return, her cheeks turning a bit red. "I know," she replied. "And since I happened to be the heir of that kingdom when you stepped down as queen, that means I gave up a kingdom for you, too."

"Brat," Elsa said lovingly.

"Know-it-all," Anna replied with the same tender tone.

They hugged tightly, savoring the contact across their whole bodies. They held onto each other for a few minutes, slowly swaying as if they were dancing to some internal music while still standing in place. When they released their grips enough to look into each other's eyes again, Anna raised her right index finger, pointing it straight up to get Elsa's attention.

"One last thing to get straight," she said, her face now serious. "I'm giving up sleeping in and playing in the snow all day with you," she said as Elsa watched her intently. Anna paused a few seconds before adding, "But... I'm not giving it up completely."

"No?" Elsa asked, tilting her head slightly to the side as she looked into her sister's eyes, a hint of green just barely visible in them.

"Nope," Anna said, shaking her head slowly. "Once we're back, we're going to make time every day to spend with each other. We're going to take a break during council meetings and regular business to spend at least two hours with each other during the day, no exceptions."

"I can get behind that idea."

"And we're going to come up here once a month to spend at least a night, with longer stays a few times a year." Anna looked around at their icy retreat, taking in that all this was theirs, built by her and Elsa alone. Well, mostly by Elsa. But she had helped arrange things, and unpack, and cook and clean. She spread her arms and twirled slowly as she said, "I love our icy castle here, and it's going to be our home too, just as much as Arendelle is."

"Agreed," said Elsa, stepping forward to take her wife in her arms and seal the deal with a kiss that was only broken when she reached down and very obviously grabbed Anna's butt, low and _quite_ close to being between her younger sister's legs. Anna shrieked into Elsa's mouth, prompting the older sibling to dance away and laugh. "_That_ was payback!" Elsa said excitedly. "And you totally had it coming."

However, instead of pouncing on Elsa or her face reddening with righteous retribution, Anna uncharacteristically smoothed her skirt down patiently before looking at Elsa, a smirk stretching across her face.

"Don't you say it, Anna!" Elsa said, pointing her index finger at her younger sister.

Anna cleared her throat theatrically.

"Anna..."

"Elsa!" Anna said, mock indignation replacing the smirk on her face as she clutched her right hand to her chest. "What on Asgard do you think I'm going to say that'll be so horrible?"

"Something very embarrassing, knowing you."

Anna sighed. "You're no fun sometimes," she said flatly.

Elsa smiled as she turned back to Kristoff and Ygrit, both of whom were trying not to visibly laugh. But before she could say anything, Anna grabbed her from behind, holding her tightly.

"As I was going to say," Anna blurted out rapidly, "we'll _both_ have it coming tonight!"

Elsa turned red as a beet as Kristoff and Ygrit completely, utterly failed at containing their amusement.

Several minutes later, Elsa exited the ice castle, her face still impressively red as she stomped down the ice steps, each step sending little icicles flying several inches up into the air. As embarrassed as she currently was, for some reason an irritatingly happy smile kept trying to stretch itself across her face. She forced it back down, maintaining her appropriately royal air of indignation. She crossed her arms and made a point to quietly, if weakly, fume as she waited for the others to catch up.

Ygrit was next out the door, carrying a black leather box in her arms, with Kristoff just a few moments behind her. "Your Majesty!" Ygrit called as she hurried to Elsa.

Elsa visibly made herself take a few deep calming breaths before turning around to face her former handmaiden. "My sister can be... a handful at times," she said diplomatically. "I apologize if that embarrassed you."

Kristoff loudly said, "Are you talking about Anna's comment or, ah, you grabbing her butt? And it looked like you maybe grabbed a bit more, if you get what I'm saying?"

Elsa audibly huffed, sending a small spray of snowflakes from the corner of her mouth. Her control always slipped a bit when she got worked up, and absolutely no one could get her worked up like Anna, negatively or positively. She smiled a bit. _But the positive most definitely outweighs the negative_, she considered. _Hopefully she'll finish gathering her gear and getting dressed quickly, so we can get going._

It wasn't until Ygrit coughed softly that Elsa remembered that there were other people present. "Oh! Sorry Ygrit," Elsa said quickly, stepping forward to help her with the box. It looked vaguely familiar, but she couldn't remember where she had seen it before.

"Oh no, Your Majesty!" Ygrit said, taking a step back. "I've got this." She looked around. "Just trying to find a place to set this that isn't covered in snow..."

Elsa wiggled her fingers at the ground in front of Ygrit's feet. Instantly the snow blew away from the spot, revealing a frozen but dry patch of tundra.

"Thank you, Your Majesty," Ygrit said politely, gently placing the box on the ground. It wasn't huge, just slightly wider than her torso and roughly a foot tall and a foot deep, but it was obviously heavier than it looked from the slightly awkward way she deposited it on the ground. She remained kneeling, leaning slightly on the black leather box as she looked up at Elsa. "And if I may, Your Majesty, you and the Princess are really adorable together. You have no reason to be embarrassed among... friends."

Elsa nearly gasped with delight at the young girl's use of the word _friends_. "Please stand, Ygrit," she said, with the teenager immediately complying. Elsa reached out and took Ygrit's hands, making sure her body temperature was at a normal level. Ygrit hesitated but didn't pull away from Elsa's touch. "Thank you for remembering that you're my friend, not my servant."

Ygrit nodded. "But if you return to Arendelle, Your Majesty, Idunn and I will be honored to resume our place as Princess Anna's and your handmaidens."

Elsa smiled faintly. "We can discuss that later, I suppose. But first, you've said something that needs to be corrected."

Ygrit's expression flickered slightly, uncertain of what she had done or said that might have been improper.

Elsa released Ygrit's left hand, using her own right hand to direct the younger girl's left index finger to the ice ring on Elsa's left hand. Ygrit flinched slightly at the unexpectedly cold band, and her eyes dropped to regard the ring.

"Anna will no longer be the princess of Arendelle," Elsa said clearly, nearly laughing at the look of shock on Ygrit's face as the girl's head shot up to look Elsa in the eyes. "Anna will now be known as _Queen_ Anna of Arendelle."

Ygrit's mouth moved slightly for a second before words came out. "You're married," she whispered. "You're married!" She could have kicked herself for not noticing the ring—rings, rather. Certainly Anna had one as well.

Elsa nodded. "Yes. We're married now. We did it the very night we came up here, before anything else."

"Hey, congratulations!" Kristoff shouted, hurrying forward to look at Elsa's wedding ring. Upon seeing it was made of ice, he lifted Elsa's hand closer to his face, eying the band carefully. After several seconds, he looked at Elsa, his face full of wonder. "How did you— No, I mean, how..." He shook his head. "The facets are—the light's sparkling, like stars are inside it..."

Elsa's nose nearly twitched with amusement. "Kristoff, you _would_ be the one who's more interested in how my wedding ring catches the light than the fact I married my sister."

He grinned disarmingly, a hint of bashfulness showing itself on his face before Elsa leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek.

"And thank you for being yourself," Elsa added. "It's the greatest truth anyone can ever tell, being exactly who he—or she—was born to be." She turned to Ygrit and kissed her on the cheek as well. "And Ygrit, my dear, faithful Ygrit, I am incredibly proud of the young woman you're becoming. Yes, you sometimes need Idunn to rein you in like I have to do Anna at times, but your heart burns so brightly and fiercely that the shadows run and hide from your spirit."

Ygrit stood silently, her chin quivering as a single tear escaped her right eye. Her gaze never moved from Elsa's icy blue eyes. She wanted to thank Elsa, but she didn't trust herself to even open her mouth with breaking down and crying, and she refused to do that in front of Kristoff. Instead she held Elsa's gaze and nodded once, holding it before bowing again, kneeling directly behind the small chest.

"Now," Elsa said, trying to steer the conversation onto less emotional grounds. "Let's see what's inside this box, shall we?"

As a small pedestal of ice began to sprout beneath the small chest, Ygrit quickly stood; the ice lifted the leather box until it was just above the level of Elsa's stomach. She looked over the black box at Ygrit. "Was this the box you and Idunn told us about when we left Arendelle?" Elsa asked. "The one you told us to open last?"

Ygrit nodded.

"We never got around to opening it, obviously," Elsa said as she traced her fingers along its clasp. "We went with the essentials first, then we got busy tinkering with the castle, and then, well, we just never got everything else opened or unpacked."

Ygrit swallowed. "We, um, hope that we didn't overstep our bounds, Your Majesty, with... this."

Elsa raised a dark blonde eyebrow as she looked at Ygrit.

"But... well, Idie and—I mean, Idunn and I, well, we thought these rightfully belonged to you and the Prin—I mean, Anna, and, um..."

"Breath, Ygrit," Elsa said tenderly, partly amused and fully curious at her friend's behavior. "I'm sure whatever you packed for us, you had a very good reason for doing so." She undid the brass clasp and lifted the lid.

As the late afternoon light struck the two objects in the box, Elsa's breath froze, rather ironically, in her throat. She looked up at Ygrit, both amazed at the girl's audacity and stunned by her thoughtfulness. "Ygrit..." Elsa said, her voice a mere whisper. "Do you have any idea what you risked by doing this?" She held her former handmaiden's gaze, reflecting on the mixture of emotions dancing behind the girl's hazel eyes.

"Execution, for one thing," Ygrit replied nervously. "At the best, imprisonment for life or close to it."

Elsa reached into the box, being careful to not scrape her fingernails across the soft purple velvet lining the case. She gently removed the Royal Scepter and Royal Orb of Arendelle, holding them both in front of her with confidence she lacked the first time she touched them. "Why did you take these?" Elsa asked Ygrit.

"We took them because they belonged to you and Her High—I mean, Her Majesty. We might have been wrong to do so, Your Majesty, but neither of us could live with anyone else possessing them."

Elsa examined the silver objects carefully. She had always been too afraid to look closely at them before; she was too worried she would destroy them somehow, even through those gloves she had despised. But they were beautiful, now that she was able to truly look at them without the blinders of fear in place. Even if their power was merely symbolic, it was still power, and Ygrit and Idunn had risked everything to keep them with Elsa and Anna. "These have been in my family for over five hundred years," Elsa said quietly.

Ygrit smiled proudly. "And now they can remain there for another five hundred," she replied.

"Thank you," Elsa said, hugging Ygrit carefully so as not to drop either the scepter or the orb. "You and Anna will take these back to Arendelle Castle as soon as my sister joins us."

The groaning of the ice castle's massive main doors drew their attention to Anna, walking out with three leather bags slung on her shoulders. She was wearing a dark green cloak, clasped at the throat so it wrapped around her entire body. She had traded her favorite boots for thicker ones, still made from black leather but without the embroidery found on most of her clothes. Dark pants covered her legs, tight enough to hint at the shape of her limbs but still slightly loose.

As Anna reached Ygrit and Elsa, Ygrit saw that Anna's dark green cloak bore Arendelle's crest on the back, the familiar purple and gold stitching of the crocus standing in stark relief to the dark green cloak. "It was Idunn's idea to pack that cloak, Your Majesty," Ygrit said as Anna took her place beside Elsa.

"That was thoughtful of her," Anna said with a smile as she set her two larger bags down on the snow. The third one, tall and thin, remained slung across her torso; Ygrit was sure it was a longbow case.

"She likes to plan ahead," Ygrit admitted with a smile.

Anna looked directly at Ygrit. "You're lucky to have her," she said, "and she's very lucky to have you." She leaned forward and hugged Ygrit, catching the younger girl off guard. She looked over at Elsa, who was closing the clasp on a black leather box. "What's in there?" Anna asked.

"A wedding gift," Elsa replied with a knowing smile. "From two people who love us." She looked over at her sister. "Are you ready to take our country back?"

Anna grinned a grin that Elsa knew all too well, a grin that usually preceded fine clothes being ripped and dragged through the mud, expensive objects knocked over and broken, animals terrorized, servants enraged, parents embarrassed and composure utterly destroyed. She held Elsa's gaze for several seconds, excitement dancing in her eyes, before she finally spoke.

"Is Fenrir pissed off?"

**Author's Afterword:** Oh yeah. Next chapter is going to be fun. I'll see you soon.


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